Past Regrets
by Hiraikotsu Slinger
Summary: A woman of the age of seventeen just discovered the name of her father after fourteen years of abandonment. His name: Umino Iruka. (Rated for rape, language, and gore.)
1. Prologue

Past Regrets

Prologue

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Kirigakure no Sato is no place to grow up. It's a dog-eat-dog world. Kill of be killed. Every corner you turn, a new hazard is underway. Caution is not an option. There were uncountable gangs that were around for no reason but to kill. No ally is trust worthy. Your friend is a foe in nearly every case.

There are no heroes in the Village Hidden in the Mist. There are no saviors. It's every man for himself. The only ones who care to defend the others are families, though there are hardly any families that dare to venture there.

The people that journey to Kirigakure no Sato are that of outlaws and rogues, bounty hunters and bounty heads. The village's disheveled ruins were frightening. There was an uptown and there was a downtown. Uptown was crumbling and the downtown was a garbage dump.

The Village Hidden in the Mist is no place to grow up, making it the most unexpected and best place to raise a child. If it were an ordinary child, it would have been killed within days. If it were an ordinary child, no one would rear it here. If it were an ordinary child, it would never have been taken into the village. Tetsu, however, is no ordinary child.

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Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto


	2. The Beginning

**Past Regrets**

**Chapter 1: The Beginning**

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A three-year-old child looks longingly at her father as he disappears into the mists in the distance. Her eyes begin to mist as her heart fills with the doubt of ever seeing him again. She looks up at her caretaker with sadness in her crystalline eyes.

"It's alright, Tetsu," he muttered and placed a hand on her petite shoulder. "I'll take good care of you." Her guardian is no more than a boy himself, but he is the only person the father can trust with his little girl's care. Tetsu looked at her feet and nodded, a silent tear cascading from her cheek to the ground.

The boy looked out into the gray fog ahead, above, and behind him. They were in a dense forest surrounded by boulders and trees so tall their tops vanished in the mist above. Ahead, along the path where Tetsu's father waned, was a large stone and on the other side of it was a sheer drop to a valley below.

"Is Papa coming back?" muttered the small child.

"I don't think so," answered the boy, squeezing the child's shoulder to comfort her. This action only made her orbs glaze in tears. She turned and smothered her tiny face in the boy's torso, muffling her sobs. He knelt and held her firmly by the arms, looking into her tear-stained face. "Don't worry. You'll be okay."

The little angelic face nodded again, keeping her eyes cast away from the boy's. Though she was so young, she understood more than many people did about life, death, and the fact that people leave without returning. The boy stood up and grasped the little girl's delicate hand, leading her into the woods.

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Fourteen years have passed since Tetsu was left with the boy. The boy was now a twenty-two year old man who went by the name of Okamura Hisoka. Tetsu has grown up to be a formidable and elite ninja of the age of seventeen. Together, they match in power and dominance in the shinobi world. The pair was a force to be reckoned with when in battles, making them known to everyone in the land as the Shuriken Assassins. So effective was the name that the name sent chills down the toughest outlaw's spine.

"Why aren't you eating?" Hisoka muttered as he sipped a cup or green tea. Tetsu didn't respond. She stirred the noodles in the bowl with her chopsticks and stared at them with the hard stare she usually had upon her face. "If you don't eat it, then I will," Hisoka joked, aiming for some sort of cheerful reply. She shoved the bowl of ramen in his direction and stood up, walking out of the main room and into her own. Hisoka looked up at her closed door and frowned.

Tetsu knelt down on her bed and shoved her face into a soft pillow. Hisoka slid the door open slightly and looked at her with worried eyes. "Well aren't we acting immature today?" he stated playfully.

"He left today," she murmured from inside her pillow. The man looked over at a calendar on her wall and sighed.

"You need to stop this. It's ruling your life. You don't even remember what he looks like," he spoke, his jesting tone gone.

"What kind of father leaves his little girl with an eight year old boy," she muttered.

"The kind of father who cares enough to hide her from everything and everyone in his life."

"So he hides her in the most dangerous place in the world-"

"Because he was protecting you-"

She shot up and got inches from his face. "What was he protecting me from, huh?! You always say that he was protecting me from things but you never tell me what they are!" she shouted, frustration welling up in her azure eyes.

"I promised him never to say anything-"

"I'm old enough to know! I'll finally have a last name! A _real_ last name! It wouldn't change me in any other way! It will just give me closure!"

"I will not betray his trust, Tetsu!" he shouted angrily. Tetsu's heart nearly stopped with his statement. In the fourteen years she'd lived with him, he hardly ever yelled at her. They had this fight every year since that day.

"You will hold to your word even though you haven't seen this man since I was given to you. He could be dead for all you know. Why do you keep this man's promise?" she whispered in a low voice. Hisoka looked away from her penetrating eyes. Her slightly open mouth closed and she swallowed, surprised and taken back by his pause.

"He's not dead, Tetsu," he spoke softly. Her eyes widened and she gritted her teeth so hard she nearly popped her jaw.

"You know him _still_?" she scowled. He looked back up at the fuming young woman and into her dagger-shooting eyes.

"I know him."

Tetsu stumbled backward as though she was just hit with the force of a dozen hurricanes. She felt her heart rip out and get squeezed in Hisoka's hand.

"You... you never told me this?" she whispered, looking at his face with for answers of some sort.

"I knew that you'd try and go find him-"

"You didn't tell me!" she roared.

"Please, Tetsu, let me explain-"

"I refuse!" she shouted and stood up, knocking him down, and stormed from the room.

"Tetsu!" he shouted and followed after her.

"You've lied to me! You've lied to me for fourteen damned years!" she screamed and grabbed up a rucksack from the ground and rushed back to her room. She started to throw things into her backpack when she dropped it, kneeling to the ground in sobs. Hisoka appeared in her doorway with shame upon his face.

"Tetsu... I'm sorry-"

"Not as sorry as I am," she interrupted and started thrusting things into her pack again. She threw it across the room in anger, trying desperately to stifle her ongoing weeping. Hisoka walked over to her and stooped beside her, wrapping his arms around her warmly.

"I'm so sorry," he apologized again. She gripped his arm and held it there tightly. After a moment of sitting like that, his embrace tightened. "Would it help if I told you where he is?" Tetsu stopped breathing a moment as an ingenious plan formed in her head. She nodded and sniffled softly.

"He's a chǔnin from Konohagure. He's a teacher at the ninja academy there." It seemed as though an enormous weight was taken from her shoulders as she sighed and nodded in understanding.

"His name?"

"Iruka."

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In the dead of night, Tetsu began to concoct a plot to see her father. Being raised in Kirigakure no Sato, she had a bad outlook on life. Still, she wasn't completely tainted with malice like the others in the village. She felt, at first, that she would go assassinate her father for what he had done to her. After thinking that there must have been some reason for his abandoning her, she decided to find him and get an explanation and go with if from there.

Sitting up in bed, she glanced at the knapsack that was on the floor. Sneaking quietly over to it, she began to pack more. Inside the pack were food supplies that could last a week, shuriken, makimono, a spare change of clothes, and medicinal herbs.

After slipping quietly out of her sleeping gi, she put on a yellow and navy shirt, a matching pair of pants, a vest, and her black zori. Slinking quietly out of her room, she turned around after closing the door to bump into Hisoka's chest. She backed up against the door and smiled innocently.

"Where do you think _you're _going?" he mumbled, spying the rucksack on her back. "It seems I was correct in thinking you'd search for him."

"I can't sleep. I want to go out and get some air," she responded and veered around him. He grabbed the neck of her shirt and she flew backward to stand in front of him.

"A likely story," he stated and looked at her sternly. "It's dangerous out there. You can't go out alone."

"I'll be fine," she growled and attempted to get around him again. She was grabbed by the hood again and pulled back.

"You're not going out," he demanded.

"You can't stop me," she said in a low and sinister voice. In a flash of light and a puff of blue smoke, she disappeared. Hisoka grumbled and looked around the room. Not finding her, he looked outside and saw nothing either.

Lucky for Tetsu, the pair lived in a tree house hundreds of feet above the ground. She was walking upside-down along the bottom of the house with a smirk of accomplishment on her face. Since there was no stairs or ladders to get to the ground, she needed to use her ninjitsu to get to the ground. She concentrated hard on the soles of her feet as she walked down the closest tree to get to the ground. However, before she could reach the ground, a puff of purple smoke and a very irritated Hisoka appeared before her.

Tetsu growled and turned around, running up the tree just to have him appear in front of her again.

"You can't find him, Tetsu," he stated before she turned heal to run down the tree again. He appeared before her again just in time for him to see her smirk. She disappeared and reappeared on the ground, running hard into the muggy woods.

The mist in the forest was so dense it was hard to see inches in front of her face. What little light the moon and stars could bring couldn't reach the forest floor, making it nearly impossible to see.

'I guess it's time to start putting my kirigakure jutsu training to work,' she thought to herself and closed her eyes, concentrating on the mist around her. The chakra inside of her became that of the mist. She continued running as far as she could from the house, her eyes still closed tightly, finding her way using every sense but sight. The mist was hiding her every movement and sealed her presence from outsiders like Hisoka.

Hisoka looked around in a frenzy, angry with himself for telling her about her father. 'If I were her, what would I do?' he thought still looking about hurriedly. Thinking quickly, he realized that she would use the newest art she'd mastered: kirigakure jutsu. He closed his eyes and released his chakra into the air, letting it absorb his being.

'I will find you, Tetsu. You can't run for long,' he said and sprinted blindly into the depths of the forest.

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**_Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto_**

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Thank yous go out to **Galyax** and **krn-kimbap** for reviewing the prologue! Don't worry... the chapters will be longer in the future! Thank you so much. This is my first Naruto fan fic and I'm obsessed with it! I'm glad you liked it! Thanks again!


	3. The Attack

**Past Regrets**

**Chapter 2: The Attack**

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Tetsu ran as fast as she could to the very edge of the forest. She jumped from rocks and trees and finally over the boulder above the cliff's peak. She realized she wasn't going to land lightly and teleported in another puff of smoke to the ground below her. She had now entered Kirigakure no Sato.

Her frosty blue eyes looked around, her raven black locks blowing in the ominous wind. She pulled her tresses back and tied them into a loose bun and began to walk forward. Her pale face turned even more flushed with fearof the town she'd entered.

She had never been to the village without Hisoka, let alone at night. She walked through the desolate town quietly and cautiously, flinching with every slight noise. Fires were among the crumbling rubble in arbitrary places, snapping and crackling as rocks and dust fell from the roofs to the ground. She glanced around at every angle, making sure no one was around. She gazed at a fallen building in front of her and stepped over poles and tiling to get to the front door.

This building was the most intact compared to the rest around her. Most of the straw roof had fallen in, but a lot was still up. The outside plaster had been knocked off and apart, revealing the iron rods and other structure materials that helped it stay aloft. Her feet crunched on the sediments as she stepped into the structure.

Her eyes shifted to the corner of the room when she heard a small squeak. A mouse scurried from his spot to a small hole at the base of the farthest wall. She stepped up into the room and walked over to the hole, kneeling down beside it. She rubbed her fingers together in front of the opening and pursed her lips, squeaking like the mouse did.

The rodent poked its head out of the hole and looked around squeamishly. Looking up at her, the mouse climbed over to her and sniffed her hand. Finding her passive, he climbed up her hand and into her palm. Tetsu smiled slightly, too naïve to realize that no normal rodent would succumb to a human.

Debris from the roof crumbled scattered the ground, making her jump and turn around. She looked up at the ceiling just as the rubble ceased falling, absentmindedly stroking the mouse's soft fur. The house became silent once more but for the pounding of the young ninja's heart increasing. The back of her neck began to sweat and her cheeks got hot when she started to feel like she wasn't alone.

Creeping slowly away from the falling patch in the roof, she bumped into the wall behind her. The mouse in her hand bit her sharply and she dropped the rodent, holding her bleeding finger up to the light. From behind her, a gloved hand grabbed her arm and grasped it tightly. She gasped and disappeared in a puff of smoke, reappearing several yards in front of the person. She glared and lowered her head, trying to look as menacing as possible.

The person in front of her through back its head and laughed richly in a masculine voice. The man's head was covered up to his eyes in a tight black long-sleeved shirt. His hitai-ate had the insignia of the Kiri no Kuni and it was wrapped tightly around his forehead. His gloves were attached to the sleeves of his shirt, which was striped on the shoulders with golden slashes. His legs were wrapped up in gauze up to the bottoms of his knees, and from his knees up were black and golden trousers. His feet were wrapped with fighting tape as well and were inside a pair of black zori.

The only visible part of the man was his eyes. They glistened with malice and burned a fiery and demonic crimson. He narrowed them at Tetsu and sized her up. He clenched his fists and gazed into her angered blue orbs, smirking wickedly through his mask.

"What might you be doing here?" he asked smoothly and in a sinister tone. Tetsu did nothing but stare into his eyes coldly. She flexed her fists and casually rested her hands on the shuriken holsters attached to the sides of her thighs.

"Uh, uh, uh," he scolded and waved his finger. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." She hesitated slightly but kept her hands on the straps. He began to advance slowly and before he could react, Tetsu grabbed four shuriken and swiftly hurled them at his body. They contacted his chest and face, spraying blood from every new wound. In a wisp of smoke, his body changed into a brick and it fell to the ground.

'The art of substitution,' she thought and glanced around, backing away from the brick slightly. She bumped into something and knew automatically it was the man. She turned around and sliced backward with another three shuriken and turned to face him. To her surprise, another brick fell to the ground.

'He's just toying with me,' she thought to herself, holding completely still as though if she did he wouldn't see her. She heard a rustling behind her and turned around to see the man with the same fiendish smile on his face. He held his pointer and middle fingers together on both hands and crossed them in front of his face.

"Art of the doppelganger!" he muttered under his breath as six imitations of himself appeared in a gust of blue smoke. Tetsu looked around and narrowed her brow. She knew he was a jônin, but not of the highest capability, so the imitations weren't flesh and blood. She cracked her knuckles, a sly smirk forming on her features. She never fought a true elite ninja without Hisoka, so this should prove to be interesting.

'Do as you please,' she thought and charged the men. They surrounded her and she skidded to a stop, throwing her arms up and with them, scattering dozens of shuriken. They hit every one of her enemies but one, and they all disappeared. The one man that was left smirked and she mimicked it.

"Not bad, little girl. But that was nothing," he murmured. He grabbed at his side and snatched a scroll that dangled from his hip. He unraveled it and leered at Tetsu, who stood waiting for whatever he had to dish out.

"Secret art of the kazaa blade!" he shouted out, shaking the building. Tetsu stood looking around with narrowed eyes. She leaned back and huffed with a wry grin on her face.

"Wind blade, my ass," she snickered. The man did nothing but smirk in her direction. She heard the sound of metal singing through the air and turned around swiftly to get a quick glimpse at a katana shooting at her in mid-air.

She dodged it narrowly, but it continued to sweep after her. It shot at her legs, stomach, and neck as she barely evaded every attempt to hit her. She turned around to see it coming at her head and she turned to the left, avoiding it again. Just as it shot passed her, she shot her hand out to grab the hilt, just to go straight through it as though it wasn't there at all.

"What?!" she gasped as the man made a surprise attack, dozens of shuriken and kunai knives shooting into her body. She choked and fell over as one hit her in the throat. Her mouth filled up with metallic-tasting blood and she coughed and sputtered, the thick liquid spraying everywhere. She sat up and looked at the man with fury in her eyes. He chuckled and leered down at the crumpled form as she tried to stand.

"The kazaa blade is a form of genjutsu, although I'm sure you figured that out when you couldn't grasp the katana," he mocked. She stood up weakly, her legs feeling as though every muscle was severed. She stuck her finger through the shuriken in her throat and pulled it out. Without warning, she flung it at him in a rage. He tilted his head to the side and grabbed the ninja star as fluently as though swatting at a fly.

"You won't get very far with a single star," he sneered. She grabbed at the makimono pouches on her vest to find them empty. "Uh, uh, uh," he scorned. "I took the liberty of taking scrolls from you while you were dodging my spell." She growled in a wrath, kneeling to the ground. Her legs could no longer hold her up and the loss of blood was making her dizzy. She fell forward onto her chest and coughed up more blood, completely out of ideas.

'How could I be so naïve,' she thought at herself angrily as the area around her began to blur. 'I should never have disobeyed Hisoka.' She spat up one more time before her world became black.

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Hisoka began to panic when he came upon the village. If she had gone in there alone at night, she was as good as dead. He hopped down from his perch on a rooftop and to the ground with a nearly silent 'thud.'

His emerald green eyes glanced around the area nervously, anticipating an attack at any moment. He whipped his head around when he heard the sound of something being dragged inside a building across the road. He slinked silently to the side of the building and peered inside to see a figure with something large over its shoulder. He heard something leaking to the ground and knew immediately that a battle had taken place moments before his arrival.

The figure exited the room through a hole in the ceiling. The person ran along the crumbling roofs with Hisoka running swiftly and silently along the side of the buildings in pursuit. The man hopped up a tower and into a belfry. He turned around to see if he was being followed and Hisoka hid quietly. Finding no one, the man turned and headed into the trap door bellow where the bell used to reside. Hisoka hopped up into the belfry and put his head to the ground to hear what was going on inside.

"I found her wondering around downtown," a man's voice muttered. There was a loud thud and a groan when something hit the floor.

"She's not that bad looking, either. I've never seen her around here, is she in any gangs?" a second man asked the first. A ruffling of fabric and zippers was heard when the other man answered.

"There's nothing inside her pack nor on her clothes that indicates she's of any enemy bands. The only thing that proves she lives here is the hitai-ate on her forehead."

"Then she was kept on the outskirts all her life," a third man's voice chimed in.

"Even if she was a member of a gang, she would have noticed the red stripes on my uniform. If she was a part our team she wouldn't have attacked," the first man stated.

"That's true. Do we know of anyone that lives on the periphery?" the second man murmured.

"No one important," the third man stated.

"Then we can keep her," the second man replied with hunger in his voice.

"I don't see why not," the first man responded.

Hisoka gritted his teeth. He knew that Tetsu was in there with a bunch of people that meant her harm. He clenched his fists and continued to listen.

"Lock her up in the cellar. This one will be our personal slave, we won't sell her," the first man affirmed. The other two grunted in understanding and Hisoka heard them pick up her lifeless body and take her down steps.

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The man Tetsu had fought looked up, aware that they were followed. He crept to the very base of the trap door. He leapt upward and exploded through the door, startling Hisoka and making him fly backward.

"Well, well, well. Look who we have here," the man sneered and put on a cocky smirk. "It seems someone has come to rescue his girlfriend." Hisoka tossed the comment aside and stood up, looking at the man's wardrobe.

"Leader of the Akuma Triplets, I presume," he stated calmly. "Yasuo, is it?"

"Very clever," the man replied. "Have we met before?" Hisoka lifted the side of his hitai-ate and lowered the mask that covered most of his face. A bold scar wrapped from the right of his forehead, lead across it and down along his face, ending at the tip of his chin.

"When we were both boys," Hisoka responded, "you and your siblings sliced me up rather well." Yasuo's eyes glimmered with memory and his smug smirk widened.

"Okamura Hisoka," he muttered, "it's been a while."

"Indeed," the scarred ninja agreed and covered his face and forehead again. "Now return Tetsu to me."

"Tetsu? Such a nice name. It means 'strong as iron,' yes?" Yasuo asked smoothly. "She won't be so strong when I break her."

"You'll do no such thing," Hisoka seethed, his placid behavior diminishing.

"Oh but I will," he retorted, "and I'll love every minute."

"You're a pig," Hisoka growled, slowly moving to the scrolls on his sides.

"And you're a pest," Yasuo mocked. "And like all pests, you need to be exterminated." He began to manipulate with his hands. Hisoka whipped out his scroll, and unraveled it in front of him.

"Art of the Mist Ryuu!" Hisoka bellowed as the scroll began glowing with a white light.

"Secret Art of the Akuma Needles!" Yasuo shouted right afterward. His body glowed with a violent red light and it began to bristle. Shooting out of every inch of his body came huge needles that flew with trails of fire and burned white hot.

Hisoka's mist dragon shot out of the scroll and wrapped around his body, the needles absorbing into its flesh and protecting its master. The dragon dissolved along with the needles, canceling both of their moves.

"How did you know I was going to use that attack?" Yasuo asked, jumping backward and out of the belfry. Hisoka followed closely behind.

"I didn't know you were going to use the devil needles, but my Mist Ryuu can be either offensive and defensive," he replied slyly. Yasuo smirked.

"Clever move. However, the same attack can't be used twice on me." With that, he released the needles again. Hisoka jumped upward and unsheathed a katana at his side. He sliced through nearly all of the needles pursuing him, and charged the man. He slashed swiftly through the air multiple times, only to be evaded by the quicker Yasuo. His blade burned red from the fire of the needles, making a glowing trail in the air.

He attempted a last stab and scathed the man's shoulder. Yasuo reached with his other arm and grabbed Hisoka's armed hand. He twisted it, automatically making the sword drop to the ground. Yasuo huffed and twisted it further. Hisoka winced but then flipped in mid air the way Yasuo was turning his arm, and grabbed up his lost weapon. With the swiftness of lightening, he stabbed the man in the stomach.

Yasuo let go of Hisoka's arm and stumbled backward, loosing his balance and falling down the roof. Hisoka held firm to his sword before the man fell, and followed to finish him off. He landed silently beside the man, who was face down and sprawled on the ground. Hisoka pressed the blade to the man's neck and glared at the crumpled body.

"Get up," he commanded. Yasuo didn't move from his place. Hisoka's patience was growing thin. "I said get up." Groaning in pain, Yasuo lifted his head and looked up at the angry man.

"Wha-what are you going to do, huh?" he slurred, blood trickling down his chin.

"Where are they keeping Tetsu," he demanded. The wounded man grinned, baring bloodstained teeth. He gasped and coughed, a crimson pool surrounding him.

"You'll never have her," he choked, the blood spraying grotesquely from his mouth. Hisoka snarled and pressed his katana underneath the man's chin.

"Where is she," he snarled through clenched teeth. Without warning, a sharp, piercing pain was felt through his chest. A second stabbed through his stomach, then hundreds of small, razor sharp stings. He turned around to see Yasuo, clutching his stomach, his eyes penetrating his.

"You think a stab to the gut would keep me down?" he queried, a wry smirk upon his lips. Hisoka looked back at the man on the ground he was just interrogating and got a glimpse of smoke blowing away.

"Genjutsu," Hisoka said and looked down to see two katana blades had gone through his back and out his front. Shuriken and kunai knives were sticking out of him from every angle all throughout his body. He knelt down and looked up at his rival. "Clever."

"Indeed," Yasuo acknowledged. "You should be dead in a few moments. Should I leave you to die or make it a quick death?" he asked himself. Hisoka cast his eyes down, looking at the ground. His vision began to blur from loss of blood. Blood cascaded down from every cut, scathe, and wound he had just received. He breathed out slowly, the pangs in his chest increasing as his lungs filled with the crimson syrup. The blood freely flowed from his mouth now, never ceasing.

"Don't... harm... Tetsu," he demanded in more of a plea than a command.

"What are you going to do about it?" Yasuo asked, looking down at the pitiful mass of blood and torn flesh before him. Hisoka closed his eyes and fell to the side, the dozens of knives and stars pressing farther into his body.

"That's what I thought," the sinister man said and turned around, hopping back up to the belfry and out of sight.

"I'm sorry...Tetsu," the dieing man managed to say before letting out a last breath. 'I couldn't help you. Be strong and don't let that man hurt you,' he thought before his thoughts drifted silently away and his world became dark.

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**Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto**

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**Evil Kasumi:** Wonderful questions! I was an idiot topost this and leave out so many details. When Tetsu was abandon, Iruka wasabout19-20 and had just began teaching.If you remember, Tetsu was 3, making him a father at the age of 16-17. The setting now is in the future compared to the current storyline in theAmerican manga.Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura are all in their 20s now. I'll explain the abandonment and his (Iruka's) situation in due time. Thank youfor the awesome review!

**Nishasha:** Thank you for the review! Here's anothing chappy!

**Freanch-fri-freak: **Interesting review but i'm happy none-the-less. Thanks!

**krn-kimbap**:He appeared here.. but will he appear again? WHO KNOWS! Dun dun dun...

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Thank you all so much for reviewing I appreciate it!


	4. The Akuma Brothers

**Past Regrets**

**Chapter 3: The Akuma Brothers**

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Tetsu woke up in a cold room and her body refused to move. She glanced around her and saw that she was on a small cot in the middle of a cage that was, she guessed, ten feet by seven feet. Her whole body was covered in gauze and bandages. Her thighs and back were especially sore, but the most noticeable pain was in her throat. She focused all of her chakra on her sore and ripped muscles, trying to shock them into movement.

Finding this successful, she sat up and looked around. Her body screamed for her to stop moving but she ignored it when her brain began to wake up. In the far corner of the cage was a bucket filled with water. The ceiling dripped and splashed into the pail every half a minute, according to Tetsu's observations.

She looked outside the cage and saw nothing but a torch on the wall and a flight of stairs that led upstairs. The torch cast a pale yellow-orange glow and made the shadows flicker and dance around her. The floor was damp and cold like the walls. Slid her feet to the side and attempted to stand, only to fall backward with her muscles screaming expletives at her.

'Where am I and why am I in a cage?' she said and looked around as the fire on the torch crackled. She heard footsteps from above her and she quickly threw the blankets over herself and closed her eyes. Shadows came from the steps as they formed into feet then a torso and head. She noticed it was the man that she fought earlier that night.

Only this man was different. His uniform was the same; his face was mostly covered and he had the same hitai-ate on his head. This man's hitai-ate, however, wasn't covering the top of his head, so she saw short, spiked blonde hair. He walked to the side of the cage and leaned on the bars, looking over Tetsu. He narrowed his eyes and saw that she was shaking slightly. He took a key from one of the pouches on his side and unlocked the door, walking in and kneeling beside her. He felt her cheek and looked at her with the slightest sign of concern.

"He really did a number on you, didn't he?" he whispered and removed his hand from her face. He looked her over and looked behind him to make sure no one was there. He pulled the covers back on her body and carefully began to unzip her top. Her eyes shot open and looked up at him, grabbing firmly onto his wrist. She twisted it and grabbed the collar of his shirt with her other hand, throwing him to the other side of the cage with all the strength she could muster. There was a loud crash as he hit the bucket, splashing water everywhere. He looked up and sputtered.

"Don't touch me," she spoke in a low and threatening voice. Ignoring the pain shooting everywhere throughout her body, she got up and limped out of the cage. He grabbed her ankle before she could leave and made her trip, falling hard to the concrete floor.

"I'll touch what I want," he muttered and pulled her back to him. She flailed around and kicked her legs in panic. She planted her feet firmly on his chest and tried to focus all of her chakra on her feet, but couldn't muster the energy and instead just pushed off. He lost his grip and was pushed aside. She made it outside of the cage and slammed it shut on the man.

She sat up and scooted backward and came to the wall. She leaned against it and stood up, the pain shooting everywhere throughout her body. She inched her way to the stairs and before she could get up one step, she was shot backward into the cage. The man locked up in the cage grabbed her and put her in a headlock.

"You can't leave here," he said gruffly as she gripped the arm around her neck. "That collar on your neck will activate every time you try to get upstairs. You won't be able to leave unless we take you upstairs or take the collar off." He huffed and held a kunai knife up with his other hand, poking her in the back.

"Let me out," he ordered. Tetsu crawled along the floor and obeyed, taking the discarded key and unlocking the pen. He got out and grabbed her by the collar around her neck. He lifted her up and held her against the cage roughly, the kunai knife at her throat.

"One false move and I'll slice you," he growled and ripped the mask from his face. Her eyes began to water as the man pressed his lips to hers, pushing her into the cage's bars roughly. She started to whimper when his tongue entered her mouth, pushing around and nearly choking her. She could do nothing but dangle there helplessly. Her chakra was exhausted, her muscles were refusing to work from fear and pain, and she had a knife to her neck.

'Someone please help me,' she prayed as the man pulled her to the floor and laid on top of her, continuing to caress her forcefully, moving his mouth lower and sucking on her neck.

"Masahiro, what are you doing?" a man's voice said from behind them. He looked up, showing a mixture of shock and shame on his face.

"She was asking for it," he answered and straddled her waist. She winced and looked up at the man standing on the stairs. It was the man that attacked her and brought her to this horrible place.

"She was asleep," he muttered. Tetsu noticed the difference in their uniforms at that moment. The man on top of her dubbed Masahiro had orange stripes as apposed to the man in the doorway's red stripes on the shoulders. "This and you know I'm to have her before you."

"Forgive me, Yasuo. It won't happen again," he murmured and faced Tetsu. She lolled her head to the side to avoid his aroused and frenzied gaze. "I'll be back for you later," he whispered in her ear and stood up. He put his mask back on before exiting the room.

"I apologize for the treatment you've had to endure Lady Tetsu," the man said with sarcastic sadness in his voice. He went over to her and knelt beside her, lifting her head. She closed her eyes tightly and sniveled, ready to be violated again. To her surprise, the man lifted her up and swung open the cage door, placing her gently inside. He covered her up and patted her forehead.

"He won't bug you for a while," he muttered. "My name is Yasuo and the brother you have yet to meet is Takeo." She didn't say anything, but continued gazing the opposite direction of him. "You are now a slave to the Akuma Brothers," he said in a rough voice. "Trust me, it's a great honor-"

"Take me back," she whispered, a small tear cascading from her cheek. "I want Hisoka. I don't want to be here." Yasuo looked away and sighed. He stood up and exited the cage, closing and locking the door behind him.

"Hisoka is dead," he murmured and walked up the stairs, out of sight. It took a few minutes to process what he said. Hisoka dead? Tears began to streak her face and she sobbed into her pillow, unable to stop herself. She tried to bring back his face, but couldn't without imagining the man she grew up with slain.

She remembered the last thing they talked about. If she weren't so selfish, he wouldn't have died. He would still be alive and they would be together. She couldn't fathom the fact that the only friend she had since as long as she can remember was gone. She might have even loved him. If only she hadn't been so foolhardy, if only she hadn't been so selfish, he would be here. His concerned face filled her mind and made her cry even more. She continued to cry until there was no water left in her eyes and she had fallen to sleep.

---------------

Several weeks had passed since Tetsu arrived at the Akuma brothers' hide out. She had healed tremendously, but her chakra seemed to refuse to come back completely. She rose one morning and looked at the bucket in the corner. She crawled over to it and cupped her hands in it, sipping the tainted water quietly. She heard movement upstairs and sat back, awaiting someone to come down. When no one came, she continued using the water.

The past few weeks had been the most dreadful she'd ever been through. She was tormented daily by the screams and shrieks from upstairs. She overheard that the Akuma brothers owned a slave trade and knew that the upstairs was filled with people they auctioned off. No one did anything to her since Masahiro, and she began to believe nothing would. He went downstairs on occasion and sat on the steps, smoking a cigarette and leering at her.

Tetsu rubbed her eyes and yawned. She was allowed to have a few items from her pack including food, a brush, and the spare change of clothes. She reached down and grabbed the brush she used and started to brush her hair. She put it up in a bun and wrapped her hitai-ate completely around her head.

Looking over at the stairs she saw someone was coming down. She'd never seen this man before. He had the same apparel as the other brothers only his stripes were yellow. The hair on his head was black as night and dangled loosely to the tips of his shoulders.

"So you're Yasuo's slave, eh?" he asked and examined her from afar. She looked away and back to the water, splashing her face with it. The man came closer and put his hand through the cage bars, handing her a bag.

"Your food has probably run out by now. This is what I was sent to give you," he stated and watched her take the food out in a rage. She found a pair of chopsticks and a container full of cooked vegetables and she gobbled it down in seconds.

"Th...Thank you," she whispered and laid down on her bed again. The man looked at her with slight concern and came closer to the cage.

"Are you alright?" he asked and grabbed up the container and chopsticks. She didn't answer but turned over, facing the wall. "Well, I'm Takeo. I'm not too fond of this whole thing myself. Just holler if you need me-"

Tetsu shot from her place on the bed and grabbed him by the collar, slamming him into the bars. "Get me out of here," she demanded angrily. Takeo narrowed his eyes and punched her in the face. She flew backward onto her bed and rubbed her now bleeding nose.

"I may not agree with everything, but I won't be afraid to hurt you. I may be well mannered compared to my brothers but it doesn't mean I won't fuck you up." With that, he walked up the stairs and left her there, holding her nose.

"Well mannered my ass," she said to herself and rolled to the side.

"What about your ass?" Masahiro teased threateningly from the steps.

"Go away," she ordered, making sure not to face him.

"Who are you to tell me what to do?" he asked angrily. "Learn your place, _slave_."

"No one's treated me like a slave yet," she murmured. "With the exception of you the first day I got here." She stood up and walked over to the bars. "And your brother yelled at you. You can't touch me. I'm his," she sneered and narrowed her eyes.

"I'll do as I please," he stated and advanced the cage. She backed up and got out of grabbing reach.

"You can't because your brother wouldn't let you," she challenged.

"That doesn't mean I can't hurt you," he said and took a kunai knife from his side. He stepped into the cage and stood opposite to her, closing the entry behind him. She smirked and flexed her fingers. She hadn't seen any action in several days and was looking forward to a fight even if she lost.

She knew she only had the energy to do one good move and was sorting through her techniques to think of the right one that could take him down. Masahiro threw the knife back and forth in his hands, coming closer and closer with ever swish. She began to manipulate with her hands, finally decided on her one main move. Seeing this, the demonic man charged, slashing at her hands to stop her.

"Art of the Fire Ryuu!" she shouted, remembering one of the most powerful attacks Hisoka had taught her. Her eyes began to glow a wicked orange and began to spark. He slashed at her arms and stomach, missing every time. The sparks in her eyes began to flare and shoot out at the man. She began to walk toward the man, shooting flames from her glowing orbs.

The man flipped backward then disappeared before she could corner him. The fire in her eyes began to die down and she looked around in caution. She turned around just in time to see him backhand her with the knife still in his hand. She stumbled backward and hit the back of the cage, falling to the ground.

The malice in his eyes danced around and kneeled down, inches from her face. She looked up and punched at his jaw, just to have it snagged in his hand. He flipped her over and pinned her down with her arm behind her back. He grabbed her other arm and did the same, straddling her lower back.

"You think you can out-do me, do you?" he sneered, grasping both of her wrists with one of his hands. He held the kunai knife to her throat and snickered.

"I can out-do you if it were a fair fight," she muttered. He jutted her arms farther up, making her wince and groan in pain.

"We'll see about that someday," he murmured, leaning down and resting his chin on her shoulder. He pressed the knife slowly harder onto her neck, drawing a small amount of blood. He kissed the back of her neck and shoved her to the ground, storming out of the cage.

"Someday," she whispered and held the abrasion on her neck.

---------------

During another few weeks, she began to take notes on the brothers' behavior. She fond their weaknesses, their strengths, and other such things that would help her if she ever got the chance to break free. Masahiro beat her to a pulp almost daily, and Takeo was the one bringing her food. She rarely saw Yasuo, but when she did, she never spoke nor looked at him.

Masahiro was the person she mainly wanted to get at. She found that his weakness was undoubtedly his will power. It was very hard for him not to get his hands on her, though she continued to remind him about Yasuo. He bested her at brute strength, but not magic and spells. She knew that if she got her hands on a scroll that she could at least knock him out cold for a few hours.

Takeo's weakness was his kindness. Though he became irritated and angry often, he was much nicer to Tetsu than the other brothers were. His strength was in his strength like Masahiro, but he rarely showed that side of him. She decided that it might be best to befriend him or at least make him think she was more of a person than her brother's slave.

Yasuo was a completely different story from his brothers. He was the leader for obvious reasons; he was as good in spell casting as he was in strength. His best area of expertise was his genjutsu: the art of illusion. She found no true weakness for him just yet, but was determined to. She was certain he was the one that had slain Hisoka and was hell-bent on destroying him.

She figured that they weren't really triplets, but just looked that way. Yasuo was the oldest and most advanced in the ninja arts. Masahiro was the attention-grabbing middle child and Takeo was the meek and quiet youngest sibling. She decided that they couldn't be much older than Hisoka, if not younger, making them in their late teens early twenties.

She had only seen Masahiro without a mask on and presumed that they all looked the same due to the fact that the shape of all of their masks and eyes were identical. If she was correct then they would all be quite attractive. Masahiro and Yasuo had the same cocky smirk that would make even their enemies smile back. Their chins were pointed slightly, but rounded just right and their noses were perfectly shaped. Every one of their eyes were the same almond shape, but Masahiro's were more wicked. Takeo's eyes had more kindness than both of them, and with it a lighter, more orange color to his red eyes.

"Here," Takeo grunted and stuck his hand in the cage with a fresh bag of food. She grabbed it casually and took the chopsticks up, picking through the vegetables and rice. She carefully placed a chunk of broccoli in her mouth and chewed it slowly.

"No scarfin' today, eh?"

"Savoring the flavor," she muttered and popped another veggie in her mouth.

"You like it?" he asked quietly.

"It's not bad," she murmured through her chews. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye then looked back as he looked over at her. After a pause and an awkward moment of staring at each other, Takeo nodded.

"That's good."

"Indeed." Tetsu was in desperate need to set her plan in motion and decided to start by slight compliments.

"So," the man muttered, scratching his neck.

"So," she replied.

"Anything interesting happen lately?" he asked, trying to start up a conversation.

"Not much happens when you're chained up in a basement," she retorted haughtily. Takeo glanced to the side.

"I suppose not," he mumbled.

"I had an eventful fight with Masahiro-kun the other day, though," she said and placed her empty container to the ground. When Takeo looked away, she stuck the chopsticks in her blankets and covered them up.

"I heard both from the eruptions down here and Masahiro griping all afternoon. What did you do to him?" he inquired, on the verge of becoming friendly.

"I stole his knife and sliced him up pretty well before he could grab it back from me." She smirked remembering his horrified face. "But then he knocked me out and I lost the knife." Takeo snickered and Tetsu looked over at him smiling slightly. There was a silence when they both noticed they were having a friendly conversation.

"I'm going to get out of here, you know."

Takeo nodded.

"I don't doubt that you'll finally whoop Masahiro," he muttered and stood up from his seat on the stairs. "But we won't let you out."

"Then I'll get through you too." The man looked away and after a moment's silence went over and collected up her container. He walked up the stairs, aware that she had the chopsticks hidden in her bed.

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**Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto**

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**Nishasha: **Heh heh... shiny. I never really thought of him as shiny, but it sounds pretty shway. Unfortunatly, they are gonna do evil things to Tetsu as seen here. But as they say, things always get darkest before the dawn. The next chapter's gonna be really bad, but then it gets really positive. Thanks for the review!  
....  
Heh heh....shiny.

**krn-kimbap: **Very good thoughts! I shall give nothing away other than you might be right, you might be wrong. Thanks for the review!

**Tamara2187:** It is sad, but it gets happier after this chapter. Trust me! Thanks for the review!


	5. The Escape

Past Regrets Chapter 4: The Escape 

**Warning**: _To all that read this chapter and detest lemons or anything of that nature, skip the second block of reading. There is a rape sequence that many people may find offensive or distasteful. So please, read up to the page break then skip to the other break marker. You may flame but please do not report abuse. I warned you all and I also rated this R so it's only fair that you don't report me. Thank you for your time. Now on with the story!_

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Tetsu became more and more friendly with Takeo as the weeks passed. She also continued collecting the chopsticks until she could barely hide it anymore. Her plan was going to work if she died in the process. The daily beatings continued, but she began to best Masahiro, figuring out his many faults and taking advantage of it.

Her ears picked up the sounds of someone coming down the stairs and recognized the familiar rhythm to be Masahiro. She rolled her eyes and stood up, ready for him to enter the cage.

"Well Yasuo has sent me some good news," he stated sinisterly and looked up at her. "He's finally to have you tonight. Then I can do whatever I want with you." Tetsu glared at him with the deepest hatred possible. Once it was time to put her plan in motion, she would have great pleasure killing him. She backed into the bars as he advanced, concentrating hard to summon her weak chakra.

"I won't let you," she muttered, grasping the bars behind her firmly.

"It doesn't seem that you can do much about it even if you tried," he mocked. She glowered at him as he began to approach her.

"Desperate times call of desperate measures," she shot back.

"You mean you've been taking it easy on me?" he said in an amused tone. "I highly doubt that."

"You'd be surprised," she whispered as he got a few feet closer. She lifted her body into the air, supporting herself with the bars, and kicked him in the chest. He stumbled backward just in time for her to jump down and start manipulating her hands. He unsheathed two knives and began rapidly slicing in her direction.

"Art of the Ice Blade!" she shouted. She felt the chakra drain from her body and water rose from the bucket and formed a katana. It shot at his head, just to be shattered to pieces with his kunai knives. She gritted her teeth and backed away as he advanced. He snickered at her scowl and twirled the knives in his hands.

"Are you willing to come quietly?" he asked her menacingly.

"I'd rather die than give in to people like you," she affirmed.

"As you wish," he muttered and charged at her. The scattered ice on the ground formed again, and shot at him from behind. It met his shoulder right as he stabbed Tetsu's stomach. They both paused and looked at each other, unable to completely comprehend what just happened. He pulled the knife from her stomach and the ice melted, wetting his uniform and the floor around him.

They continued to look at each other before realizing that they'd both hit vital points. Tetsu grabbed her stomach and held it tight, blood trickling from the gapping wound. Masahiro stumbled back a bit, but remained standing.

"I guess... it's a draw," he said, panting slightly and swaying back and forth. Tetsu nodded and continued to clasp her stomach tightly before falling to her knees. He looked down at her and raised his arm then slugged her hard, hitting her in a pressure point on the neck. She fell forward and blacked out. Masahiro grabbed her up and threw her over his shoulder, taking the collar off her neck. He threw it to the ground and carryied her out of the cage and up the stairs.

---------------

Tetsu woke up drowsily and looked around. She had never been in this room before. She tried to sit up just to find her hands tied up over her head and chained to a wall. She tugged at the shackles and found them impossible to get out of without a key or a spell. She began to summon up her chakra to find that everything was concentrated on healing the nearly fatal stab to the stomach.

She tilted her head upward and saw that she was in a dimly lit room. She glanced to her side and saw a table, but there was nothing else in the room. She noticed she was on top of a bed and remembered what Masahiro had said earlier. Her eyes got wide with fear and she began to flail like crazy at her locks.

From the outside of the door she heard footsteps. She bit her lips and looked around for something she could use to get loose. Clicking and locking noises came from the other side of the door and it swung open, shedding light into the room. A person entered and closed the door behind himself.

The room became quiet and the air was tense with nervousness. Tetsu looked around anxiously in hopes for finding some means of escape. The man came closer and his face lit up. She recognized it as Yasuo. Seeing as this is the first time she had ever seen him without a mask, she nearly gasped. He looked like Masahiro with a cleaner shave and a less malicious glare in his eyes.

He stood there for a few moments staring at her with her eyes glaring right back into his. The light in the room was cast by two candles, which cast eerie shadows about the room. He stepped toward the bed after the awkward silence and sat down at the end. Tetsu kept still for a moment then inched her legs farther from him.

Startling her, he grabbed her ankles and pulled them toward him, stretching out her legs. She started to kick and he took a knife from his side, holding it up. She stopped kicking and her heart began to pound in fright. He crawled up the bed and straddled her waist, pressing his body onto hers. She held her breath, desperately trying to keep her eye from tearing up. She breathed out and was about to breath in again when he pressed his lips onto hers and put his hands behind her head, holding her there. She didn't move but closed her eyes, trying desperately to convince herself that this wasn't happening.

"Kiss back," he muttered before pressing his mouth to hers again. With no response, he took the knife in his hand and cut her upper arm sharply. "Kiss back!" he demanded, pressing harder and harder, pushing his tongue into her mouth. She held her ground and continued holding still. He raised his knife and sliced down again, perfectly parallel to the previous cut. She winced and opened her mouth willingly, turning her head to the side and letting him continue.

He moved down from her mouth and began suckling her neck. She squirmed a bit, becoming more and more uncomfortable as he moved lower. He sat up a moment and removed his top, his body perspiring heavily. He grabbed the collar of her shirt and found a zipper and began to unzip it feverishly. A silent tear fell down her cheek as he opened her blouse, revealing her chest and torso completely to him.

"Don't cry," he whispered and laid his lips upon her left breast. He caressed her chest and wrapped his arms around her back, pressing her into his face. She fidgeted, completely uncomfortable having her top half revealed to a stranger.

"Please stop," she whispered, her eyes overflowing with tears. He ignored her and continued going lower with his mouth. By this time, she had the right mind to just kick him until he was so angry he would kill her. She decided against it, wanting to have her revenge on the whole family rather than dieing.

Her hands grabbed onto the chains and squeezed them as hard as she could, trying desperately to ignore him. He came down to her pants and unbuttoned the latch, sliding them off slowly. She pressed her legs together as hard as humanly possible, not wanting him to touch her. With a slight bit of anger, he pulled her legs apart like a bear trap and sat between them quickly before they could snap shut again.

She whimpered and watched his animalistic behavior as he rushed to slip out of his pants. She turned away once he was completely bare, looking over at a candle in the corner. She felt him lay back down on top of her, pulling her legs up to wrap around his. She sensed his lower half pressing into hers and finally felt something wedge itself into her.

She grit her teeth when she felt him thrust himself deeper and deeper until she felt as though her insides would explode. There was immense pain throughout the lower half of her torso and she knew something had happened. She felt as though something in her broke. He kept pushing himself into her and the pain wouldn't cease. She groaned and panted as though she had just run a mile. Despite the pain, part of her lower half gave of a feeling of ecstasy and which gave her mixed feelings about what was happening. She was almost confused about what to moan about: the pain or the pleasure.

She clenched her fists until her palms nearly bled. He was panting faster and faster with the faster he pushed into her. She felt him get larger inside of her then in a last thrust, he shrunk slightly and he fell silent, laying on top of her and trying to control his breathing.

She tried to slow her breathing too. She couldn't help but be confused about what had just happened. She was never told anything about what had just occurred. She knew about the actions but not about the pain or the pleasure in it.

---------------

She breathed in deep and exhaled long and drawn out. He looked up from her chest and into her staring face. After an awkward silence, Tetsu looked away, a last tear falling from her cheek. He sat up and leaned on his elbows.

"You were a virgin," he muttered. She didn't say anything. He inched up closer to her face and rested his chin on her collarbone. "I apologize."

"You're a bastard," she whispered angrily. "And I don't accept apologies from bastards." He continued to look at her with a strange look on his face.

"I didn't know," he explained. "I would have let you keep it if I had known."

"No you wouldn't have," she seethed. He grabbed her face gruffly and made her look at him.

"I'm not a liar," he growled. She looked into his fiery eyes with her icy blue orbs with fury.

"Why did you do it anyway?" she asked quietly. He let go of her face and sat up, grabbing the hips of his pants and tying it back around his waist.

"Don't question me," he murmured. He grabbed up his shirt and pulled it over his head and avoided her gaze.

"It's because I'm 'yours' isn't it? Is that what this is about? Ownership?" she asked angrily, raising her voice.

"Might I remind you that you are chained down and I could very well rip your innards out," he growled, looking down at her with eyes glistening like fire.

"Oh, I'd better watch out then. It's not like you haven't taken _everything_ from me already," she retorted. He glared at her viciously but then looked away and put his mask on.

"I was going to be nice and let you go but I think that you have an obligation to Masahiro," he said and stormed from the room.

---------------

She laid there for hours completely bleeding, crying and completely nude. Footsteps from outside were heard and her heart stopped, thinking it would be Masahiro. To her relief Takeo came in the room. His shoulders sunk when he saw the mess of blood and tears in front of him. He walked over to her side and sat down, grabbing her shackles and unlocking them. She lowered her arms and sat up, grabbing him under the arms and embracing him tightly.

He frowned and stroked her matted ebony hair, holding her quietly as she sniveled and sobbed. The room was quiet for a time with the exceptions of Tetsu's sniffles. She looked up at Takeo's face, not caring about revenge anymore.

"Please help me," she whispered with pain in her eyes. He sighed and kissed her forehead.

"That's harder to do than it sounds," he murmured. She looked toward the door and sighed. He hugged her tighter. "Unless you have an idea. I've wanted out of here too." She looked up at him and smiled slightly. Sitting up, Tetsu grabbed the pants that were torn from her and slid them on. She zippered up her shirt and turned to him.

"I've had a plan."

---------------

Takeo led the exhausted girl from the room and down through the winding tunnels of the underground portion of their lair. She had her hands behind her back and locked in handcuffs. They came to Tetsu's cell and Takeo closed the cage door behind her.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she spoke quietly, smiling. Takeo nodded and returned her smile.

"Save your energy up."

"I will," she said and laid down as he walked up the stairs and out of sight.

---------------

"You're such a pussy-boy, Takeo," Masahiro mocked shoving him into a wall. All his life he'd been the young sibling that was picked on. Masahiro's hand wrapped around his neck and he pressed the man to the wall. "Fight me like a man."

"I don't feel like practice today," he muttered, grabbing Masahiro's wrist and thrusting his feet into his chest. Masahiro flew backward and Takeo flipped down to the ground smoothly.

"You afraid I might kick you ass?" he taunted and charged at him. Takeo jumped up and dove over him as he smashed into the wall.

"You're a bit slow today. Did Tetsu give you that hard of a beating?" he snickered. Masahiro growled and stumbled backward, turning to face his opponent.

"That little whore stuck a blade through my back," he grumbled low.

"Then stop trying to claim you're better than me when you really can't beat a girl right," he murmured.

"Shut the fuck up," he snarled. "I'll show you how to beat a girl." He stormed out of the room and toward Tetsu's cell.

'Good. Step one complete,' Takeo thought to himself and followed his brother.

"Get up," Masahiro bellowed on the outside of Tetsu's cage. She looked up drearily and then saw Takeo in the stairwell.

"'Morning, Masahiro-kun," she said and stretched, the chakra flowing like electricity through her veins. She stood up as he opened the cage and stepped in, closing it behind himself.

"Ready, Punching-bag?" he muttered, cracking his knuckles. She rolled her eyes and glanced over at Takeo, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed casually. Tetsu turned her gaze back over to her pursuer and smirked wryly.

"Punching-bag ready," she affirmed. Masahiro cracked his knuckles and placed his hands on his shuriken holsters.

"You're especially cheeky today," he stated and began to advance her in the small cage.

"Cute word," she mocked boldly. She looked into his demonic eyes and focused her chakra on the hidden chopsticks that were scattered throughout her room. The electric pulse of her chakra sizzled in the air, making Tetsu's hair stand on end.

Masahiro blindly charged at her as she began to gesture with her hands. She didn't shout anything out, but right before her enemy could get to her, the sharpened utensils flew from every area in the room. They penetrated every inch of his body, making him numb and unable to breathe. She made sure not to hit any vital points, but just the points that would knock him cold for a few hours to a few days. He stumbled backward and then forward, unable to think clearly. Tetsu drew her fist back and nailed him in the jaw, making him fly backward and knocked him out cold.

Takeo walked over to the cage door and unlocked it, holding it open for Tetsu. She grabbed all the weapons on Masahiro, strapping the shuriken holsters to her thighs and the belt with the kunai knives to her waist. She gathered up her extra clothes and headed out the door.

"One down," he muttered, following Tetsu up the stairs.

"One to go," she finished, slinking up the steps quietly with Takeo closely in tow.

---------------

Takeo lead her through the corridors and rooms to the supply room and handed her the backpack that was taken from her. She decided that it would be better to change into her spare uniform.

While Takeo stood watch outside the door, she slipped into a pair of black, traditional sashinuki, a black wife-beater, and her black vest with makimono pouches. She wrapped her hands and feet with fighting tape, wrapping the tape up to her shins, covering her pants to the knees.

She loaded up the pouches with the many scrolls in her rucksack along with a few spare kunai knives. She kept Masahiro's belt and shuriken holsters, finding them as sort of a reward for defeating her archrival at that time. She figured she would look back on this day in many years and be able to show people that she had beaten the infamous Akuma Triplets.

She took a brush from one of the pouches on her backpack and untied her hair, pulling it back into a high ponytail. She began to braid it when Takeo entered the room.

"We have company," he said hurriedly as Tetsu picked up the sounds of footsteps approaching. She quickly tied up the waist-length braid and slipped her black zori onto her feet. She wrapped her Kirigakure hitai-ate around her forehead and smirked, completely battle-ready. Stray bangs flipped neatly over her band and her cold eyes gleamed green in excitement.

"Let's do this."

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Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto 

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**Disclaimer**: _I know... you guys are wondering... "Where's Naruto and the gang? This is a Naruto fic, after all." You are very right! Never fear, they will be appearing within the next few chapters. They've changed a lot within these many years, so don't expect them to look or act exactly the same! (Don't worry... Naruto's still goofy, Sasuke's still badass, and Sakura's still her bossy self! They've just had 'tude adjustments.) _

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**Everyone: **I hope you're not appauled by what just happened. I'm sure you read the disclaimer in the summary, though, so you can't be too surprised. Please don't stop reading! I love your support and I doubt that anything like that'll happen to poor Tetsu again.

**Tamera2187: **Thanks for reviewing! It means a lot!

**Krn-kimbap: **Takeo is a doll, isn't he? I'm drawing a picture of him now, (I have a pic of Yasuo) and I'm waiting for an available scanner. (I might end up taking a pic with my digital camera just 'cause my scanner is broken.) Your predictions were right! Have a cookie. Thank you so much for reviewing! (I'll try to review your fic, but I don't know if I can because I'm uber busy and I don't usually get around to reading fics. I'll try for it, though!)

**Nishasha: **WOW. That was possibly the longest review I've ever gotten. ; You'll see about the 'madly in lurve' part. I don't want to give up the entirty of the story, now would I? Thanks Nisha! Hehe! Homer rocks ouuutttt.


	6. The Battle of the Brothers and the Begin...

**Past Regrets**

**Chapter 5: The Battle of Brothers and The Beginning of a New Life**

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The footsteps got closer and closer. Takeo stepped into the room and hid behind the door with Tetsu following his lead. The door slid open, but no one stepped in. Tetsu held her breath, her hands shaking with nervousness. Her stomach seemed to tighten and crawl up her throat with the excitement of the battle that was to happen within seconds.

The door closed slowly and Tetsu breathed out hesitantly. Takeo stepped to the sliding door and slid it open silently to see a pair of furious red eyes staring into his. Yasuo grabbed him by the collar of Takeo's shirt and threw him out of the room. Tetsu angrily jumped in the line of fire and swung a fist at his jaw.

Yasuo backed up smoothly, missing the hit by inches. He grabbed her outstretched hand and twisted it, flinging her over into Takeo. She growled and stood up immediately. She knew she had little chakra left and decided to save it up gradually as she attempted to fight him hand-to-hand.

Takeo stood beside Tetsu, his fists at his side and his back arched forward, ready to charge his brother if he tried anything. Yasuo began to walk slowly toward them, his arms crossed.

The arena was set. It was a huge rectangular room with a ceiling nearly 20 feet tall. There was a wrap-around balcony that would mark where the second floor would be. If the rectangle was seen length-wise, the closet was at the far bottom right of the room. Ahead, on the right side of the rectangle was a pair of double doors that lead downstairs to the holding cells. To the far left was a staircase that led up to the balcony and the outside doors. The outside doors were at the very top of the stairs and led to a maze of corridors.

The walls were made of tan rock sediments and plaster. There were six pillars keeping the ceiling aloft. It was obvious they were at least three flights below the ground, which was why the pillars were so enormous. Tetsu noticed a plaque beside the outside doors that said, 'The Buried Kirigakure Dojo – Ninja Elite – School of the Gifted – Teacher: Okamura-sensei.' Before she could look anymore, Yasuo stopped.

"Why did you betray Masahiro and I?" he asked with shame in his voice. Takeo narrowed his eyes at him but stood his ground.

"The only question that should be asked is 'why didn't I do this sooner'," he seethed. Yasuo threw his head back in laughter.

"You always were the clever one," he muttered. Tetsu's eyes never missed any motion he made. She had the awkward feeling that something wasn't right. She saw Yasuo's eyes shift above Takeo for a moment and knew that she was right.

She turned around immediately and saw the real Yasuo diving for his brother with knives in his clutch. She jumped up and punched him in the stomach, launching him over Takeo and into the decoy. The fake disappeared in a wisp of smoke as soon as the real one hit it.

Takeo was taken back, but didn't flinch a muscle. Tetsu's inner-self danced and paraded around in utter bliss and pride, but in reality she kept her cool and glared at the man skidding to a stop in front of them. She smirked cockily and huffed, getting in a ready position aside her accomplice.

Instead of making a witty statement, Yasuo jumped up immediately, diving straight for Tetsu. She moved out of the way swiftly, just to have him bounce off of his landing with his hands and spring backward, kicking her in the stomach and launching her into the wall just to the left of the closet. Takeo swung downward at Yasuo's back to have him grab his wrist and throw him forward at Tetsu.

The two stood up quickly. Tetsu was bleeding from the wound on her stomach and Takeo's lip was split. Yasuo smirked and charged them again, hands full of razor sharp stars. He shot the shuriken at the duo as they covered their faces in defense. The stars ended up planting themselves on Takeo's shoulders, thighs and one in the stomach and on Tetsu's stomach, thighs, and forearms.

They looked up from their arms to see Yasuo in the air, pummeling down at Tetsu's head. She pushed off against the wall and shot forward to have Yasuo bounce off the wall. Just before her got to Tetsu, Takeo grabbed his ankle and threw him into a pillar across the room.

He took out a pair of kunai knives and stuck his landing on the pillar, looking down at the two angrily. Tetsu flexed her fists and waited for him to move. He let go of the knives and landed on the floor. Before he could turn and ready himself, she charged at him, slicing at his stomach with a knife. He grabbed her hand before impact and, with his other hand, punched her in the gut. She flew backward and skidded across the smooth dojo floor.

It was Takeo's turn to attack. He ran at his brother with his hands on his shuriken holsters. Before his brother could react, he jumped up and stood on the two kunai knives Yasuo used on the pillar. He launched dozens of shuriken at his brother, which were dodged swiftly with flips and handsprings. He landed smoothly and looked back up at Takeo with a cocky grin.

"It seems you're out of shuriken," he muttered.

"But I'm not!" Tetsu shouted and began to launch another wave of ninja stars at Yasuo. He turned around just in time to see dozens fly into his body. A last one hit him in the throat and he gasped a little. He grabbed it and threw it at her, only for her to catch it smoothly.

"You won't get very far with a single star," she mocked. He growled and was about to get up before he was shot in the back with a wave of kunai knives. He fell to his knees as Takeo hopped down from his perch, landing in front of his brother. He crouched down and held a knife to Yasuo's throat.

"Right now would be a good time to beg for mercy," he threatened. Yasuo shifted his glance from Takeo to Tetsu then back to his brother.

"I don't beg," he spat out, blood seeping from the hole in his throat and trickling down his chin.

"Then you shall die," Takeo scowled and stuck the blade into the hole in his throat. It pressed against his spinal cord as he ripped the knife from side to side. Yasuo's stare didn't flinch as he fell forward, his head resting at an odd angle on the floor. The blood spilled everywhere as the fallen man's hand clenched then went limp.

Tetsu looked at the dead man with no emotion on her face. She had killed many people and seen many people die in her short lifetime, so this wasn't any different. However, she felt glad that she had helped in avenging Hisoka's death.

"Okamura," she muttered and looked at the plaque across the dojo. She stared at it a moment before she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"It's over," Takeo muttered. She grabbed his hand and held it there for a moment.

"It is," she replied and turned, walking to the closet to gather her belongings.

---------------

After freeing the slaves in the cells below, Tetsu arrived upstairs to see Takeo was completely changed. He wore a pair of sashinuki that matched Tetsu's with the tape up the shins. They were baggy and black, making a swishing noise with every step he took. He continued to wear his black top with the gloves and mask, but on top was a gray vest. On his forehead was the silver hitai-ate, covering the top of his head like a bandana. His shaggy, raven tresses hung down and grazed the top of his shoulders. He looked at her with warmth in his orange eyes.

"You should get going," he muttered and approached her, throwing her knapsack into her arms. She looked at him with a slightly confused glance.

"You mean 'we' should get going," she corrected. Takeo stood silent, looking at her with sadness in his eyes. They stared at each other quietly, waiting for one of them to speak.

"I don't think I should go," he murmured. A heat wave of sorrow ran up Tetsu's neck to her face. She realized that no amount of persuasion would get her new friend to come.

"I think you should," she demanded. Takeo looked away and stared at the doorway to the cells below. Tetsu walked up and stood in front of his gaze. "I want you to come with me."

"My life is a mess. I must set out and correct the mistakes my brothers and I have created-"

"And what better way than to start fresh," she interrupted, "with me."

"Tetsu," he said harshly. "I can't go with you." Her heart shattered to pieces with his last statement, but she did nothing but stare into his amazing ginger orbs. After a few moments of nothing but silence, she startled him with a tight embrace. He hugged her back, resting his head on top of hers.

"Thank you," she muttered and sniffled slightly, trying desperately to hold back her tears. "Thank you for saving me."

"This won't be the last time we see each other," he whispered and kissed her forehead. She nodded into his chest and released him, turning around and putting her backpack on.

Dust scattered with her every footstep as she made her way to the steps. She stopped at the bottom and put her hand on the cold, iron banister. "I hope you find your father," she heard Takeo say from across the dojo. She stayed hushed and walked up the stairs and out of sight.

---------------

The sun was just peeking over the mountains in the distance as Tetsu appeared on the streets of Kirigakure. She squinted, having not seen the light of day in months. The days had grown colder since the last time she had been outside. The leaves had changed hue and began to fall.

She stepped onto the dusty street and began to walk through the morning mist. The village was beginning to wake as were the birds and rodents that hid in the forest surrounding the city. She walked through the ruins to the edge of downtown and stopped, turning to look back at the city she had lived by all her life.

"Goodbye, Hisoka-sama," she murmured and faced forward, walking into the unknown.

---------------

As night fell, so did Tetsu's energy. She had been traveling southwest non-stop through rough terrain. She sat down on the ground and sighed, the mist of the village thinning with the closer she came to shore. She saw the glowing of the moon against the sea in the distance. The hill she was on top of was highly elevated, giving her a view only the birds and her could gaze upon. The peak of the hill that she resided on was clear of any trees, but rather had large boulders and a few shrubs about it.

The young ninja gazed up at the cloudless sky and sighed, laying her head down on her rucksack. She reached behind her head and into the pack, grabbing a pork roll from the pouch. She bit into it and chewed it slowly, watching the stars in the dome-shaped sky. After finishing it, she closed her eyes and fell into a sound sleep.

---------------

"She's alive isn't she?" Tetsu heard a young man say. She lazily opened her eyes to see a pair of bright blue ones staring back at her. She instantly jumped up and snatched a kunai knife from her side, holding it to the man's neck. He held up his hands in defense and smiled nervously.

"Yeah," he chuckled nervously. "She's alive." Tetsu glanced about to see three others. There was an old man with a wisp of silvery hair atop his head. His hitai-ate was lowered over his left eye and a mask connected to his shirt covered most of his face. There was a woman about her age with a mess of pink hair and eyes as blue as the sea. There was another man beside her with hair as black as night and eyes that were just as dark but had a gleam of red.

"Uh... can you get the knife out of my face?" the blue eyed man asked, snapping her back to reality. She twirled the knife around and stuck it back in her belt, standing up to look at the newcomers.

"Who are you?" she asked them quietly, still a bit groggy. 'Curse my hard sleeping,' she thought and felt like kicking herself.

"We're jônin from Konohagure," the man with the blue eyes said, pointing to the hitai-ate on his forehead with a leaf symbol. The woman with pink hair huffed and rolled her eyes.

"That's it. Tell the world who we are. What if she was a spy for the Akuma brothers?"

"The Akuma brothers are dead," Tetsu affirmed. The man with the gray hair slumped backward slightly at her statement.

"Then this was a pointless mission," he muttered.

"How do you know this, girl," the man with black hair ordered.

"Firstly," she growled, "you're no older than I am." She stepped toward him and glared into his deep, crimson eyes. "And secondly, I have slain them."

"What about the slave trade?" the other young man asked, scratching his blonde head.

"I was the leader's slave. I freed them all."

"You were Yasuo's slave?" the old man asked. "How the hell did you get out of his grip _and_ slay all three?"

"I had help from the youngest brother," she said. "Despite the fact they were related, he was just as much a slave as I was."

"So they're all dead?" the woman asked.

"Technically, one is dead, one is retired, and one is... dead-ish."

"So you didn't slay them all," the blonde man said with a smile. "Then we can still have a battle!"

"No," Tetsu corrected. "He will awaken but he won't have enough strength to help himself along. He will starve to death like the lowlife he is." The blonde man frowned.

"No battles then."

"I'm afraid not. We might as well be on our way back," the old man murmured and turned to walk down the hill with the others in tow. Tetsu grabbed up her belongings and began to follow. The man with black hair turned around and stopped in mid-stride.

"Why are you following us?"

"I'm heading to Konohagure myself. I'll leave you once we get there," she replied and passed by the man. He narrowed his brow.

'I don't feel right about this one,' he thought to himself and began to walk behind her.

---------------

**Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto**

---------------

**Everyone:** Huzzah! They have entered! The next chapter should prove to be entertaining, yes? Heh heh!

**Nishasha:** DUDE! EVEN LONGER REVIEW! That's farkin' insane, man. Thank you so much! Now now... keep your amazing powers to yourself. No more HSlinger brain, no more story, yes? (I wanna Mystery Machine anyways! HEHE!) Yes...yes... hot guys do kick righteous ass. nods knowledgably And the way I drew 'im... Takeo's hot. HEH HEH. Okay so... yeah. Thanks again! You're so 1337 mann!

**Krn-kimbap: **To tell you the truth... I dunno. Yasuo's just an ass hole. I really hate him. He deserves what he got. does a little jig YEAH MAN! He be deeeeaddd now. It looks painful. >O I'll tell you a secret about Takeo... he is gonna appear in later chappies. OO Don't tell anyone, though! (even though Nisha and Tamera can read this. ; ) Thanks for the review, hun! It's much appreciated!

**Tamera2187:** Thankies muchly! I'm glad you like my work!


	7. The Journey to Konohagure

**Past Regrets**

**Chapter 6: The Journey to Konohagure**

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"So why are you coming to our home town, Miss-"

"Tetsu," the black haired girl interrupted the blonde man.

"Miss Tetsu," he affirmed.

"I'm going to find my father," she replied.

"Anyone we might know?" the silver haired man asked and stepped over a fallen log. Tetsu shrugged.

"I don't even know who _you_ are."

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto, the pinky's Haruno Sakura, the old guy's Hatake Kakashi, and the grump over there's Uchiha Sasuke," the blonde man stated.

"Naruto, I'm not that old," the man named Kakashi retorted with a huff.

"And don't call me pinky," the woman growled.

"Don't make me hurt you," was all the black haired man said.

"Well? Who's this father of yours?" the young man named Naruto asked again.

"I don't know him. I just know his name is Umino Iruk-"

"Iruka-sensei?!" Sakura and Naruto interjected at the same time.

"I think so. He's supposedly a teacher at the Konohagure Ninja Academy." All four of the newcomers stopped in their tracks. Tetsu turned around to see them all looking at her with wide eyes and open mouths. "Yes?"

"I didn't know Iruka had a daughter!" Sakura gasped and walked up to her, grabbing her chin.

"Hey, hey!" Tetsu grumbled and flailed her arms around. Naruto and Kakashi joined in, pulling at her hair and poking her skin.

"She does have the same hair color-"

"And the same skin tone-"

"And her eyes match his almost exactly-"

"Let go you guys!" she growled and stumbled backward, tripping over a rock. She glared at them angrily and sat up, rubbing her head. Kakashi took a step back and grinned innocently. Sakura and Naruto looked at her dumbfounded.

"Sorry about that," the silver-haired man apologized. Sasuke walked up to join them and looked at Tetsu curiously.

"Why wouldn't he tell anyone?" he asked, looking at Kakashi with a quirked eyebrow.

"I don't know. This is news to me," he muttered and shrugged, scratching the back of his head in puzzlement.

"Stop gawking at me as though I'm some sort of exhibit at a museum," Tetsu griped and stood up, dusting herself off. She took her hair out and scratched where her hair tie used to be. "I just found this out for myself so I know as much as you know." She tied her hair up in a high ponytail and began to braid it casually.

Naruto continued to look at her in astonishment. No matter how close he'd gotten to Iruka in the past, he never knew he had a daughter. Sakura began to play with her hair as well, tying her shaggy, shoulder-length hair in a loose bun.

She wore a black pair of shorts and a white tank top underneath a gray makimono vest. Her feet had a pair of black and white zori that matched her outfit. Her nails were painted delicately a frosty pink that matched her hair. She wore her hitai-ate tightly on her right thigh. A cheerful blush was on her cheekbones when she smiled.

Naruto wore the same shorts but had a black, long-sleeved shirt underneath his green vest. The shirt was capable of covering his face when needed. He wore a black pair of zori and had fighting tape that wrapped up his shins. His hitai-ate was wrapped around his waist like a belt and an old pair of goggles around his head. His six demon birthmarks curved with his awkward grin.

Sasuke wore a black pair of cargo pants that were tucked into large black boots. He wore a white wife-beater and a makimono belt instead of a vest. He had a black backpack on that matched the same material as his pants with just as many pockets. His stern face seemed to always be in a scowl except for his occasional wry smirk.

Kakashi wore his normal attire with the exception of the color change. His shirt was black along with his pants, and his vest was gray like Sakura's. His fingerless gloves were the same light gray along with his zori. He had crowfeet on the corners of his eyes (at least the visible one), which made him look older than he claimed he was.

Tetsu finished braiding quickly and scratched her nose. "Are we going to go or not?" Kakashi snapped back to reality and began to lead the way to the shoreline with the other four following.

---------------

Tetsu strayed behind as the others followed closely to their leader. Sasuke paused a moment and looked back at her, waiting for her to catch up.

"So what's your story?" he asked and began to walk alongside her.

"What do you mean, grouch," she retorted in a somewhat playful way. The man kept his stern look and stepped over a branch.

"I mean, why did you not know Iruka was your father until now?" he said in a slightly annoyed voice.

"He abandoned me when I was three," Tetsu replied. "I learned before I was captured that he was my father."

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"Two things."

"Yes?"

"One, I _am_ older than you, and two, fourteen years ago he began teaching."

"Two things," Tetsu mimicked.

"Yes?" Sasuke asked.

"How old are you and how old was he?"

"He was about eighteen, I think. And I'm twenty-two."

"You're a young twenty-two."

"Is that a compliment?"

"Take it as you want it," Tetsu replied. 'He's how old Hisoka was,' she thought and nearly tripped over a rock. Sasuke grabbed her collar before she could tumble and held her up. She gasped and wobbled, still slightly unbalanced.

"Way to kill the girl, Sasuke!" Naruto called up to them when he heard the commotion. The other two looked up at the pair as Sasuke looked at the flailing and choking Tetsu. He let go of her collar, making her fall forward. Kakashi and Naruto chuckled as Sasuke stepped over the floored girl. She growled and sat up on her hands and knees, spitting out grass and rubble.

"Are you alright, Tetsu-san?" Sakura called in worry.

"I'm alright," she mumbled and grabbed at Sasuke's ankle. In the blink of an eye he was down in her face, gripping her wrist tightly.

"Nice try," he whispered and smirked cockily. Tetsu glared at him and tugged her arm away. He continued down the trail as she stood up, dusting herself off for the second time that day.

---------------

They arrived at the shoreline a little past dusk. Sakura stretched and yawned, her legs giving way from under her. Naruto grabbed a kunai knife from his belt and tied it to a long stick, heading down to the surf. Sasuke began gathering sticks and logs for a fire, side-glancing at Tetsu as she followed Naruto to the seaside. Kakashi gathered rocks and made a circle between he and Sakura.

Sasuke dumped his findings into the circle, sitting beside Kakashi. Sakura grabbed a pair of rocks from a pouch on her belt and smacked them together above the sticks. Sparks flew onto the circle and soon a nice fire was crackling in front of them.

Naruto slid his shoes off and rolled his shorts up even farther, wading out into the surf just passed his knees. He arched his arm up with his makeshift spear, scanning the waters with his eyes narrowed. He felt a poke on his shoulder and nearly fell backward when he saw Tetsu standing barely a foot from him. She grabbed his vest before he could fall over and steadied him.

"Uh... hi," he muttered and went back to looking through the water. His eyes glistened when he saw a fish and was about to strike, but Tetsu beat him to it.

"One for me," she snickered and smirked.

"So you wanna play, huh?" Naruto replied and mimicked her grin. Before he could react, she threw her spear again.

"Two for me." He growled and looked around frantically, squinting in the dark.

"If you splash around like that, you'll either attract attention from sharks or spook the fish," Tetsu murmured calmly and pierced another fish. "Make that three." Naruto grumbled in frustration and stabbed in front of him, shish-ka-bobbing a large mackerel. He grinned and looked over to see Tetsu had six on her spear. He roared and stabbed around random placed, catching nothing and stirring up the water.

"You're being childish," Tetsu said and rolled her eyes. He looked over at her angrily as she jumped up into the air. He cocked his head in puzzlement and looked forward just in time to see a massive wave slap him down.

He tumbled to the shoreline and sat up as his spear was washed up beside him, the fish gone. He sat there a moment glaring out on the sea before spitting water out and slouching down. Tetsu walked up beside the sodden man and nudged him in the back with her foot.

"I have enough for us all. You don't need to go back out." When he didn't move, she walked back to the campfire.

---------------

"That was some wipeout, Naruto," Kakashi joked and grabbed up his fish as Naruto finally joined the group.

"That was hilarious," Sakura giggled, replaying the image of the blonde man's feet flailing in the air as he was hit with the wave. Sasuke smirked slightly, but kept silent. Tetsu stood up after finishing her sushi and grabbed up her pack, pulling a rope from it. She tied it between two short trees and walked over to Naruto.

"Come 'ere," she muttered and took a towel and blue pair of sashinuki from her pack as well. Naruto followed her into the shadows of the trees.

"Take off your clothes," she muttered and held the towel up as a curtain.

"What?!" he shouted. She rolled her eyes and huffed.

"You're going to catch a cold if you stay soaked. Take off your clothes and put them on the clothesline," she murmured. He cocked his eyebrow then turned around, slipping from his saturated clothes and placing them over the rope. "Take these. They're my spare pair," Tetsu said and threw the clean pants at his face.

Naruto grabbed the sashinuki and turned around again, pulling them up and tying them around his waist. He grabbed up the towel in her hand and rubbed his short, blonde hair dry. He wrapped the towel around his shoulders and poked her shoulder. She turned to see him then turned back quickly with wide eyes. 'He has a nice build,' she thought and tried frantically to cool the hot blush that had graced her cheeks. He gave a puzzled look then smirked ever so slightly. He walked in front of her and patted her head.

"Thanks," he said and turned, walking back to the campsite. She nearly kicked herself, knowing that he saw her rosy cheeks. Tetsu followed behind him after she felt the flush leave her face.

"Oooo," Sakura teased, "what were you two doing?"

"She gave me dry pants," Naruto said innocently. He felt something get chucked at the back of his head. He grabbed it and saw it was a black wife-beater. He turned to see Sasuke snapping his backpack shut.

"No one wants to see that," he muttered and crawled back to his place on beside Kakashi. Naruto snorted and slipped it on.

'I don't mind it, really,' Sakura thought to herself, then mentally slapped herself. Tetsu sat between Sasuke and Naruto and looked at the fire. She felt eyes upon her and looked over at Sasuke who slyly shifted his gaze from her to the fire. She quirked an eyebrow but ignored him and grabbed up her knapsack, taking out a blanket.

"Tonight is going to be cold," she muttered and stood up. Kakashi nodded and took the pack off his back and took out a sleeping bag. The other three did the same, shaking them out and laying them close to the fire.

"You only have that?" Sasuke asked, pointing at her blanket. Tetsu looked at it and shrugged. He threw his sleeping bag at her and grabbed the blanket from her. She looked at him in shock then smiled.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it." He grabbed his pack and wrapped himself tightly in the thin cover. Tetsu laid his sleeping bag down beside him and slipped inside, grinning with because of the warmth within.

"G'night," Naruto said to everyone. Kakashi and Sakura replied likewise and Sasuke and Tetsu muttered the same quietly.

---------------

Tetsu woke up before everyone that morning. The sun hadn't even appeared and the fire was out. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, looking over at her sleeping comrades. Sasuke was shivering and huddled up beside her dangerously close. She held back a chuckle and unzipped her sleeping bag, draping it over the man's shoulders. He moaned slightly in his sleep and curled up tighter underneath the comforter.

She looked over at the other three and smiled. Naruto was drooling, Sakura was mumbling in her sleep, and Kakashi was snoring louder than a wild boar. 'What a group,' she thought and stood up, walking away from the campsite and closer to shore.

Tetsu sat down and dug her feet into the sand, watching the tide slide back and forth as the sun peeked shyly over the horizon. She yawned delicately and laid down, stretching and soaking her feet in the icy cold water. It sent shivers up her spine and she closed her eyes, letting the sun touch her face with the smoothness of melting butter. The two different feelings made her smile and open her eyes to see a pair of dark red ones looking at hers.

"'Morning," Sasuke said and sat down beside her. She blinked, a tad startled, and nodded.

"Good morning to you too," she replied and yawned again.

"Why are you up so early?"

"I don't know. Why are you up so early?"

"I felt you cover me." Tetsu smiled slightly and stared out at the rising sun.

"You were cold."

"I was fine."

"You were not."

"I was too."

"No-"

"Yeah-"

"And you call me childish," Naruto interrupted and sat on the other side of Tetsu. Sasuke huffed and ignored him like he usually did.

"You were acting like one last night," Tetsu retorted.

"Hey, babe. You don't know me. You can't judge someone you don't know." Tetsu rolled her eyes and closed them as another wave touched her feet.

"Damn, it's cold!" Naruto jumped up, spraying sand all over the other two. Tetsu sat up immediately and spat, rubbing the sand from her face.

"That was surprising," she chuckled and dusted her arms off.

"You're going to be childish for the rest of your life, fox," Sasuke muttered and took off his shirt, shaking the sand free of it. Tetsu made a side glance and smirked slightly.

'He has an even better build than Naruto,' she thought and giggled to herself.

"What's so funny?" he asked, scratching his hair to remove the sand.

"Nothing," she said innocently and stood up, patting her clothes down. She looked over at Naruto and saw that he had a depressed look upon his normally chipper face. He was slouched over and heading back to the campsite where Kakashi was rousting Sakura.

"What's wrong with Naruto?" she asked and looked over at Sasuke. He had his arms and head resting on his knees; he was gazing out at the almost completely risen sun. When he didn't reply, she nudged him slightly.

"I called him something that he's not proud of," he said gruffly.

"Fox?" she asked. He nodded.

"He's a fox demon."

"He's a demon?" she asked. "He doesn't act like one."

"He's always acted like a child. He does it for attention. Just ignore it."

"Why isn't he proud of being a demon?" she asked curiously. Sasuke explained about how in his past life he was a terrible nine-tailed fox demon that nearly destroyed Konohagure and how their Hokage sealed him in a human body.

"Then why the fuck did you call him something so horrible? That's more immature than the way he acts, if you ask me," she snarled. Sasuke shot her a nasty glare. He stood up and stormed off without retorting with anything but a huff.

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**Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto**

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**Everyone:** Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates it! I hope you all had a safe and happy holiday!

**Zero the Death Shadow:** Those are the two questions that have been bugging the living snot outta me; glad you picked it up.If I explain the rape situation, I'm not even pleased with myself because there is no good excuse. The main reason is she has a near-fatal wound on her stomach being healed and it's not only painful but absorbing the chakra she needs in a battle. Secondly,Yasuo had a knife on her the whole time,not to mention that he had several others if she were to disarm him. And lastly,and most obvious, she was chained down. ; For lack of better explination, that's it. I know, it's pathetic but that's all I have.

Then the killing Yasuo thing.... sigh. I was going to make a few flashback sections, but I decided against it. It would completely ruin the battle scene. Let's just say he had a very, very bad childhood with his siblings. More of a bully thing... not even sibling rivalry. Just plain, flat-out cruelty.

Thank youvery much for pointing things out so I could explain more in depthabout what happened. Thank you for reviewing and I hope you continue reading!

**Krn-Kimbap:** Yes, he is hot! HEH HEH! I dunno. They might... but meh. I'm indecisive at this point. My fingers are just typing... I'm not even controling the story! Hehe! Things just happen the way I think. It's like I'm in a drugged-up daze when I write things. The outcome even surprises me! Haha! Thanks for the review!

**Nishasha:** Yeah.... I wrote a chapter and a half a day up to this point, but didn't update. Just to let you guys catch up and let others possibly start reading. (_Like Zero, for instance! ) _I need to start writing again... winter break made me relax a little.

GO INNER-SELVES! Haha! Thanks for the review!

**Tamera2187:** dances about HUZZAH! Naruto 'n' Co. are finally in! Heh heh!They rawk. Thanks for the review! I appreciate it muchly!


	8. The Marina

Past Regrets Chapter 7: The Marina 

---------------

The sun was high above their heads when they met the mid-point between Konohagure and Kirigakure. The boat they traveled in was little more than a small sailboat. On the deck were many a hook and rope. There was a cargo hold in one lower compartment and a small cabin inside the hull. The cabin contained four small bunks, a variety of cabinets, and a very drowsy Naruto.

The sail billowed in the afternoon zephyr as Tetsu blinked lazily. She sat at the edge of the bow, looking down at the waves quickly passing beneath her. She felt a nudge on her back and turned around to see it was Sakura. The pink-haired girl smiled politely and Tetsu responded with a slight, forced grin. She tapped the seat beside her and Sakura sat down obediently.

"Sasuke doesn't mean to be a complete jackass," she said, starring out into the water that lapped at their feet. "He's just a bit hard on Naruto sometimes."

"He shouldn't be," Tetsu said and leaned on the bar in that ran in front of them and around the entire ship. Sakura mimicked.

"I think he's just showing off for you," she replied. "Or being territorial."

"_Territorial_?" Tetsu scoffed. "Neither of them called me first. I'm not up for sale, ya know."

"He flirted with you first and you flirted back. Then Naruto, probably being just a nice guy, talked to you and he got jealous. That's how humans are."

"I didn't _flirt_ with Sasuke! And if you call tripping me flirting then you have an awful sense of flirtation." Sakura cocked her eyebrow.

"Well... Sasuke doesn't warm up to people that fast... let alone fool around with them. His gruff and tough nature is how he flirts." She paused, not knowing how Tetsu's response would be to her next comment. "And by mimicking Sasuke, you were flirting back."

Tetsu didn't reply for a while. After an awkward silence, she decided to respond. "I sensed he was a bit anti-social. Why is he like that?"

"Hell if I know," Sakura answered, glad Tetsu wasn't angry. "He's always been like that. If you ask me, you're lucky."

"How am I lucky?" she asked quietly, as not to sound too curious. Sakura sighed and stood up.

"I've had a crush on him since I was 12," she replied. "He may be rough around the edges, but he's a decent guy." With that, she disappeared behind the cabin.

A little while later, she felt a presence watching her. She shifted her gaze and looked behind her to see Sasuke standing there with his hands in his pockets.

"Do you often times stand ominously behind a person to creep them out or-"

"I apologized to Naruto." Tetsu sat there motionless for a few second, starring back at Sasuke.

"That was- seems... out of character for you... let alone any man."

"It is and it was," he said. "It was humiliating, even if he didn't laugh."

"That was nice of you," Tetsu replied.

"You'd better be happy," he said and sat beside her. "I did it because of you."

"You didn't do it out of the kindness of your heart, you did it for me," she muttered.

"Something like that."

"Well... that was still kind of you."

"You're welcome." Tetsu smirked and nudged his shoulder. A large wave jumped up and splashed them in their faces, completely soaking them to the bone. After a moment or two of silence, they looked at each other and burst out laughing.

From below the deck, Kakashi poked his head up and cocked an eyebrow. He wanted to smile, but it seemed too awkward to be funny.

'Imagine that,' he thought. 'I haven't heard Sasuke laugh in years.' With that thought, he went back below and flopped down on a bunk. He looked to the other bed where Naruto laid looking at the ceiling with a puzzled look on his face.

"What's wrong?" Kakashi asked quietly.

"Sasuke," he muttered. "He... apologized to me." Kakashi starred at Naruto for a while before looking up at the ceiling with the same dumbfounded look upon Naruto's face.

'Maybe we should keep this girl around,' he thought to himself before another fit of giggles was heard from above.

---------------

Sakura yawned delicately and sat back at the helm, steering the boat with her feet. She looked up at the stars as a waft of sea wind filled her nose and blew her hair back. She sighed in satisfaction and put her hands behind her head in relaxation. She heard footsteps from behind her and turned around, nearly loosing balance. Tetsu grabbed the chair she sat in and kept it steady so Sakura wouldn't fall.

"My turn for at the helm," she muttered and grinned slightly. Sakura blinked and nodded, standing up.

"You got the night shift?" she asked quietly.

"Only for a few hours," Tetsu answered. "Then it's Naruto's turn."

"Okay. Don't push yourself. It's tiring," she said as she walked off and went below to the bunks.

Tetsu sat down in the seat Sakura was previously occupying and took hold of the helm. She steered for a few minutes before using the wheel as a footrest like Sakura was. She leaned back in her chair with her eyes closed, and then opened them to look at the stars. Tetsu flailed, not finding the stars, but a pair of narrowed black eyes. She nearly fell, but regained her balance when Sasuke steadied her. He held the chair up with his body and held her head in his hands.

"Hi," she muttered and grinned. "Don't spook me next time."

"You're a ninja. You should have sensed me," Sasuke sassed.

"I was relaxing. We're in the middle of the ocean, there's not going to be any enemies here," Tetsu sassed back.

"Oh really," he muttered and pushed a strand of her stray hair behind her ear. "No enemies, huh?"

"You heard me," she said and gave him a playful smirk. There was a small silence as they looked each other in the eyes in a childish manner. Sasuke lowered his head hesitantly, then pressed his lips to her forehead. He lifted his head back up and saw Tetsu open her eyes. She leaned forward and stood up, turning to Sasuke's chest.

She kept her head down and ran her fingers up and down his bare arms. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears and tried not to concentrate on that. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead again, causing her to look up into his deep, red and black orbs. He closed his eyes and she closed hers as their lips locked in a small kiss. She wrapped her arms around his back and held him closer, pressing harder onto his lips.

Their lips didn't stray from each other for a long time, then Tetsu opened her mouth and Sasuke mimicked, their kisses becoming more and more passionate. Despite this, they Sasuke pulled away for a moment and looked down at her. She gazed up at him without a questioning glance, but and understanding one.

"Goodnight," he whispered and kissed her a final time.

"Goodnight," she replied as they pulled away from each other's grasps. He turned and walked to the cabin and out of sight. When he disappeared, Tetsu sat down and closed her eyes, smiling to herself.

---------------

A few hours went by when Naruto poked his head out of the cabin. He snuck over to see Tetsu –half asleep- leaning on the wheel drowsily. He tapped her shoulder and grinned childishly.

"My turn," he said with energy. Tetsu felt like hitting him for having so much pep, but didn't have the strength to. "Move over, lazy-bones!" he said and shoved her. She stumbled but kept her balance, groaning in annoyance. She trudged off to the bunks and left Naruto there to his own thoughts.

She staggered in the darkness, looking around for a place to lie down. She found an empty bed and flopped down onto it, falling instantly into a deep sleep.

---------------

The sun peeked into the bunks as the morning breeze wafted gently in the sails. Tetsu opened her eyes slowly then blinked a few times, attempting to wake up. She stretched and yawned aloud. Sitting up, she gazed over to see Naruto, Kakashi, and Sakura sleeping soundly still. She threw her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, stretching again.

She looked at the cabinet over Naruto's head and knew that the food was kept inside there. Leaning over his bed, she quietly unlatched the cupboard and reached in, finding the containers were shoved far back. She bit her lip and looked down, kneeling carefully on Naruto's bed as not to wake him. She reached farther into the cubby and grabbed the edge of a box.

Just as she did this, Naruto mumbled something about muffins in his sleep and rolled over, resting his head on her lap. He wrapped his arms around her waist and muttered again. Tetsu narrowed her brow and contorted her face in thought. She tried to shake him off, only to have him cling harder. Sighing in annoyance, she poked his cheek continuously in an attempt to roust him. He batted at her hand then rolled over, grasping his pillow instead. She smiled and ruffled his hair, standing up with the box in her hand.

She tiptoed out of the cabin and up to the helm to see Sasuke leaning on the wheel, watching the sun on the horizon. She put the box on the chair and walked up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and rested her head on his back.

"Do you have any idea how beautiful the sunrise is?" he muttered and stood up straight, holding the arms that were around his waist.

"I would have if you woke me," she retorted and blinked drearily.

"Look," he said and pointed to the sun. "You can still catch it. It's not completely risen yet." Tetsu released him and stepped beside him to see the giant red orb that painted the eastern sky a numerous amount of warm and welcoming colors.

"It _is_ beautiful," she agreed and smiled slightly. Sasuke wrapped his arms loosely around her shoulders and she leaned back onto him with a satisfied sigh.

"Told you," he said and smiled. She nudged him in the side playfully and grinned. "We should be arriving at Konohagure within an hour or two," he murmured drowsily. "Are you going to stay with... us?"

"Only if I'm invited," she replied, wanting him ask.

"It's your choice," he said quietly.

"I want you to invite me," she muttered.

"Then I'm... inviting you."

"Do you _want_ me to stay?"

"Why else would I invite you?"

Tetsu grinned and held the arms that wrapped around her. "Then I'll stay. I'm not sure for how long, but I'll stay." Sasuke nodded and held her tighter with her squeezing back.

---------------

Sakura woke up in an agitated mood. No matter how much Naruto tried to cheer her up, she'd glower and storm to the other side of the boat.

"C'mon, Kura-chan! What is _up_ with you?" he persisted for the hundredth time that morning. She looked at him and huffed angrily. She gazed over at Tetsu and Sasuke and grimaced as though she'd just been hit and marched away from the blonde man. She grabbed a rope and took out a kunai knife, sliced the rope and it flung her up onto the mast. The cut rope released a folded sail and the boat picked up speed. She sat on the top rail with her head in her hands, scowling angrily.

"Leave her alone, Naruto," Kakashi said from behind him.

"Why is she so up tight?" he asked his mentor.

"You can't tell? You're blonder than I thought."

"It is because of Tetsu and Sasuke?"

"Well, aren't you the brightest candle on the cake."

"Is it or not?" Naruto growled haughtily.

"That's my best guess. Sakura's liked Sasuke for more than ten years and he's never seemed to care at all. A new girl comes around and all he sees is her. Sakura has no chance now... or at least that's how she feels."

"Oh," Naruto said and frowned. "I've felt the same way about her but she doesn't realize it."

"You don't hafta tell me that," Kakashi retorted. "She knows you like her. You just approach it like a child."

"I don't mean to. It's my nature."

"Well if you want to get the girl, give her what _she_ wants," he said and perked his head up. Before Naruto could respond, Kakashi pointed forward and shouted out, "Konohagure!"

Everyone on the vessel looked ahead and gave a whoop; well, that was what Kakashi was expecting. Sakura still had a nasty look on her face, Sasuke and Tetsu were lost in each other's thoughts, and Naruto was gazing up longingly at the pink-haired ninja with the scowl. Kakashi sighed and continued steering toward the mountainous landmass ahead.

---------------

The docks were flourishing with seagulls, fishermen, and the rank smell of rotten sea life. The day had gone from a beautiful sunrise to gray skies and a slight drizzle every now and then.

"Back early eh, Kakashi?" a burly man said from behind a counter at the marina's rent-a-boat shop.

The small store was filled to the brim with fishing materials of all shapes and sizes. The lights were dim and the walls were made of deep sienna colored wood. The rafters were low, causing the taller set of people to duck while they shopped.

Long sea-rods were blocking the glass window that opposed the register. There were small shelves and aisles with which bate, lures, and tackle of various colors were packed. On the far wall were calendars, compasses, clocks, and large two-way radios that could be connected to the ships and the marina's main office.

Sakura walked around the aisles as though to distract her from her own thoughts, picking up decorative hooks and filleting knives. Naruto took a rod down from the back of the store and examined it as though he was an expert. Tetsu walked over and looked at the radio, which was completely new technology to her, gazing at them intently. Sasuke followed suit with Kakashi to the front desk.

"Yeah. The mission was a bust," he replied, tossing the husky man the boat's keys.

"Well that's a bummer," said the unshaved man. He scratched his gruff chin and swiveled in his chair, opening a glass case and placing the keys on a hook marked 'F-5-1' which matched the boat's registration. He closed and locked the case, turning around to face Kakashi.

"Here's your bill then," he said and handed Kakashi the bill. The sensei scribbled his signature on the line.

"Put it on the academy's tab," he said and turned around, walking out of the shop. Sakura followed immediately, followed closely by Naruto. Tetsu walked out quietly with Sasuke in tow.

"I'm hungry," Naruto mumbled, looking at the variety of different shops to his left. The ocean lapped angrily to their right, a storm no doubt brewing out at sea.

"I'm sure that there's a nice deli we could stop at," Tetsu chimed as a fat raindrop hit her square in the nose.

"We should duck in cover at a rest stop, actually," Kakashi decided. "There's supposed to be one helluva storm coming from the ocean today and following tonight. The stores are already packing it in." He was right. The open-air market was beginning to batten down the hatches and the crowds were hustling to get to the nearest inns.

"Then let's stay at a pub," Sakura suggested. Kakashi nodded and pointed ahead casually. The group looked forward to see a ratty old bar with a rotting sign swinging in the wind outside to door. The entrance was down a flight of stairs, giving the restaurant a shady feeling.

"I have an old... _friend_ who owns that tavern," Kakashi stated. "He'll surely let us stay there the night." With that, they headed down the slick-with-rain staircase and opened the heavy door.

A waft of hot air hit the group as they entered, lively voices ringing in their ears and glasses clanging together, along with a few fits of gruff laughter. The smoke was heavy in the air, fogging up vision and the already dim bar lamps.

Sakura coughed slightly at the heavy smoke, drawing some attention from the rugged looking men around them. Some eyed the women with perverse smirks and some looked at their leader, Kakashi. The tone of laughter in the air instantly diminished and whispers broke out as people slyly pointed to Kakashi, some out of awe, some with anger, but most with fear.

Sasuke and Sakura took notice of the fear instantly and looked at their teacher strangely. However, neither said a word. They weaved through the whiskey-breathed men and occasional drunken woman to the back of the tavern, were they spotted a scrawny old man with beady eyes and a narrow face.

Kakashi stood there for a while until the old man felt eyes upon him. He shifted his gaze to see the mentor and the four students. His small eyes grew wide in terror before turning away as though he hadn't noticed the man.

"Keshiji," Kakashi muttered, attempting to grab the man's attention. "Keshiji," he repeated in a lower voice. The old man turned around stiffly.

"Oh, how nice to see you old friend," he said nervously, flashing Kakashi a frightened smile.

"Old friend indeed," Kakashi murmured. "You've been hiding from me, Keshiji."

"Of course not! I'm just... just gathering the money I owe you," he protested.

"And do you have it?" Kakashi asked in fake curiosity.

"I'm... I'm working on it... old frien-" Kakashi interrupted him by grabbing his collar at lightening speed, pulling him inches from his face.

"_Do you really have the audacity to call me your friend_?" Kakashi hissed in his face. "_You low-life, good for nothing, asshole of a human being._" He threw the frail man into the wall behind him, letting his collar go. The bar went silent as curious eyes watched the pair.

"Kakashi it was a mistake!" Keshiji claimed innocently.

"You framed me!" Kakashi shouted. "If I was dead, it wouldn't be a mistake _would it_?" Kakashi jumped up onto the counter and crouched down, looking at the gaunt old man. "As a matter of fact, if I were dead you wouldn't be in this little predicament now, would you?" he seethed.

"It wasn't me!"

"Like hell it wasn't!"

"Honest! Kakashi, why would I frame you?" the old man pleaded.

"When you thought I was dead, you took off with all of my possessions. That's all the proof I need." Sakura flinched every time Kakashi spoke harshly. She hated it when he was angry; he was usually so calm and kind. To her relief, Kakashi regained his cool and breathed in deep to calm himself.

"Right now, I need a few rooms. I'll let you off this time because we need a place to stay. But don't think that I'm going soft. If we weren't in public, you would have been dead the minute the door swung open." Keshiji nodded frantically.

"I have three rooms!" he said hastily, fumbling through a large ring of keys. "Upstairs!" He said and stepped aside, revealing a staircase.

"Good." Kakashi said and snatched the keys from his hands before he could sort through them completely.

They trudged up the stairs to a hallway with no lighting but a window at the end of it. The sky was fading as the rain pounded outside, so there was barely any lighting with or without the window. The walls and ceiling were all painted a faded white, so that brightened everything up. The floor was a dark hard wood floor.

Kakashi sorted through the keys and found which key was to which door. He handed a key to Sakura and another to Sasuke, keeping one himself.

"Get some sleep. After the storm blows over we'll be hiking through mudslides," he muttered, still slightly dizzy with anger. They all nodded and unlocked their doors. Naruto began to follow Sakura into her room when she turned to see him.

"_Oh no_. You're sleeping with Kakashi," she growled.

"C'mon, Kura-chan! There're two bunks in there! I won't bug you!" he pleaded.

"Will you stop acting like an imbecile?" she grumbled, narrowing her eyes.

"Yes! I just don't make me sleep with Kakashi! It's embarrassing and he snores loud!"

Sakura took a moment to process this before she stepped aside and let Naruto inside. "Don't pull anything," she murmured. "I'll kick you from here back to Kirigakure."

"Don't worry," he said, flopping down on one of the beds. "Thank you."

It kept all her will power from smiling, but she didn't and nodded. "Your welcome."

---------------

**Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto**

---------------

**Everyone: **Sorry about the... ya know... not updating thing. It was really a series of unfortunate happenings. First, I wrote it out and planned on putting the final touches on it the next day. I woke up to find... gasp MY FLOPPY DISK WAS MISSING! sob I took a day or two to look for it then I decided to just type it up all over again. Of course, once it was done, I found the floppy disk. All that work for nothing. I tried to post it ALL day yesterday and the day before but to no avail! was bugging like crazy! I was so ticked off! And so to conclude this, I'm sorry for the long wait, it won't happen again. ;

**Tamera2187**: Maybe you can tell in this chapter who's gonna end up with whom, yes? shifty eyes Hehe! Thanks for reviewing!

**Gary**: I'm so glad that you like my story! I'm sorry that you don't like Sasuke... I think he's pretty cool. I'm not a HUGE fan of Naruto... but he's cool all the same. Thanks for the review and I hope you continue reading!

**Krn-kimbap**: Maybe this answers your question, yeah? I think it was so incredibly cute and sappy! Heh heh! Thanks for the review!

**Zero the Death Shadow:** Unfortunately, it seems that Tetsu chose Sasuke and vice versa. (I swear... it surprised me too.) It's the coolest feeling when there's no control over what you're writing! That's why I used to update so frequently! I just couldn't stop! (They wouldn't lemme!) Thanks for the review!


	9. The Tavern

**Past Regrets**

**Chapter 8: The Tavern**

**Warning**: _To all that read this chapter and detest lemons or anything of that nature, skip the second block of reading. There is a sexual situation that many people may find offensive or distasteful. So please, read up to the page break then skip to the other break marker. You may flame but please do not report abuse. I warned you all and I also rated this R so it's only fair that you don't report me. Thank you for your time. Now on with the story!_

---------------

Tetsu's heart skipped a beat when she saw there was only one bed. She didn't truly think that their relationship was that close as of yet, but she decided that she didn't mind it. She dropped her backpack on the floor in front of the bed and sat on the edge, kicking off her sandals.

Their quarters was only one room with a bed all but ten feet from the door. The rafters were old and low and the color of redwood trees. The bed in front of them was against a wall on the right side and very low to the ground. Beside the left side of the bed was a small nightstand with a dim candle burning on its last bit of wax. The room was darker than the hallway, but there was still the slightest bit of light, allowing them to see slight details around them.

Tetsu flopped backward onto the bed and sighed in exhaustion, then sat up remembering the fight with Kakashi.

"What was all that about?" she asked Sasuke, who sat down and began to unlace his shoes as well.

"What... the bar?"

"What else."

"I'm not sure. You should ask Sakura. She's close to Kakashi. She may know." Tetsu nodded and blinked, her body tired, but herself wide-awake.

"I'll talk to her later. I can't move without feeling dizzy," she murmured and sat up, crawling to the pillow and flopping down again. She had her back to him, looking at the wall.

"Were you just dizzy? Moving from there to there?"

"Well... no."

"Then you lied."

"I'm just tired."

---------------

"I am too." Sasuke agreed. He scooted closer to her and laid down, draping his arm over her waist. She turned over and looked at his placid face. They stared at each other for a few moments before Tetsu felt slightly self-conscious and cast her eyes down. In one swift moment, he pressed his face onto hers, pushing his lips gruffly to her own.

She grabbed his shoulder with her left hand and pulled him harder into the kiss. He broke away for not even a second before he began delicately kissing her chin and neck. She held tighter to his shoulder and pulled him up onto her.

He lay there between her legs, caressing every inch of her neck with his mouth. She squeezed his hips with her legs and grabbed the back of his head, pressing him firmer to her neck and making him more energetic.

Sasuke sat up, bringing her up with him, and pulled off her top as they continued tongue wrestling. She reached down and pulled off his wife beater, beginning to rub his shoulders and chest. They were skin on skin, a coil of perspiration and raw heat. They laid down again, the intensity of the moment growing with every second flying by.

Tetsu rolled him over and straddled his lap, suckling and caressing his bare chest. Sasuke did nothing but hold her head and pant as though he'd never breathed before. She made her way down, licking every part of his torso in ecstasy and rubbing his shoulders roughly. He grabbed onto the bed comforter with one hand and her head in another, tangling her raven tresses around his fingers.

She looked down and then back up at Sasuke's face. He looked as though he was a crazed animal with no sense of direction or what was happening. She smirked wickedly and climbed back up, connecting to his lips and plunging her tongue into the beast's mouth.

He mimicked, and held her lower back firmly in his hands, pressing himself on her despite their pants. She felt slightly uncomfortable, but tried to ignore it and continued to suck on his mouth. He did it again, only this time he held her there for longer, making her even more uneasy.

He let go of her side and reached down faster than she could react and began to press her with his finger. She held her breath for a second before his hand rose and reached down again, this time he went inside her pants. She began to pant harder, out of an unknown fear, and out of the almost heavenly sensation he was bestowing upon her.

She grabbed his shoulders in a gruff manner and meant to say something, but couldn't get it out when he moved his fingers around in a sensual motion. She groaned slightly without meaning to, but in reaction to what was happening. He moved his fingers around faster and she gripped his body tightly. Her hips began to move back and forth with the persuasion of Sasuke's hand, and it made her feel even better.

She couldn't think clearly, only back to what happened with the Akuma brother's. She opened her mouth to tell him to stop but all she could do was moan in pure frenzied euphoria. She began to quiver with the excitement of everything and hardly noticed when Sasuke began to remove his pants. He started to untie Tetsu's sashinuki when she finally had enough sense to choke out a barely audible, "Don't."

Sasuke either didn't hear her or thought she was being playful, but he didn't stop taking off her pants. She started to grip his shoulders even harder than the death grip they were already in as he successfully slid her pants down to her knees. She shook her head as he gripped her waist, pushing his own hips upward and pulling her down. Memories of Yasuo and Masahiro flooded her head and she began to tear up in fear and uncertainty.

Sasuke moaned slightly and pushed his hips harder into hers until he could feel himself inside of her. Tetsu gritted her teeth and tried desperately to stop the horrible memories from destroying this moment, but she couldn't do anything to stop it.

Sasuke drove himself into her over and over again, moving her hips back in forth to motivate her to help. She kept shaking her head but jerked back and forth to please his pressuring hands.

---------------

After it was all over with, Tetsu collapsed onto Sasuke's body with tear-stained cheeks. She clutched him tightly and closed her eyes firmly, refusing to shed any more tears on the subject of Yasuo. It didn't work completely and so she whimpered and sniffled in Sasuke's arms.

Sasuke was dumbfounded. He embraced her loosely, too exhausted to hold her too tightly. She hugged him back, holding back as many tears as she could.

"What happened?" he asked quietly. She shook her head and sniffed.

"Forget it," she whispered, breathing in deeply and exhaling in hicks and uneven breaths.

"I can't. I'm completely at a loss here," he said, nuzzling the crook of her neck. She did the same.

"It's not your fault so don't worry," she hushed, trying to calm herself.

"Now I know something bad just happened here," he said and grabbed her shoulders, lifting her up so he could look her in the eye.

"Can we talk about it later?" she asked quietly looking at his pale face.

"Will you be mad at m if I bring it up again?"

"No. Just... just hold me for a while, okay?"

He nodded, still searching for an answer in her eyes. She rolled off of him, pulled on her sashinuki, and got under the covers. He did the same, cradling her in his arms until he no longer heard her sniffle. The rain pounded against the roof, lulling their troubled minds to a soothing sleep.

---------------

"Let's talk," Naruto muttered, looking at the wooden ceiling. The room was identical to Tetsu and Sasuke's, only this one had two smaller beds against both walls.

"What about?" Sakura asked, unpacking her bag. "Turn." Obediently, Naruto turned over as she slipped out of her close and into a pair of pajama pants.

"I don't know. I mean, we've never had to share a bunk before or anything. Never had a heart-to-heart," he said matter-of-factly. She jumped into bed and pulled the blankets over her topless body.

"Wow, you're right," she replied. "Turn." Naruto turned over to see her buried under the covers up to her neck.

"You sleep topless?" he gasped, mouth agape.

"I usually sleep nude when I'm alone. But I left the pants on this time just for you," she sassed.

"Jeez, I was only askin'," Naruto said defensively. He grabbed up his backpack and took the wife-beater Tetsu had lent him off and threw it in the bag. He didn't notice Sakura hide all but her eyes in the blanket so as he wouldn't see her blushing. He slipped off his sashinuki and put on a pair of underwear. "That's weird anyway," he muttered, turning to face Sakura. "I thought only guys slept naked."

"Well you were wrong," she murmured. Naruto sighed and laid down in his bed.

"Sakura-"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you always so mean to me," he asked with sadness in his voice. Sakura was taken aback at his comment, and it took her a couple of seconds to think of a good answer.

"You're childish and rude and loud and like an annoying little brother," she affirmed. She could all but hear Naruto's heart break in two.

"Oh," was all he said and he turned over, facing the wall. Sakura felt instantly horrible inside and a heat wave of guilt focused on her cheeks and neck.

"I'm sorry, Naruto," she whispered. When he didn't respond, she felt her heart crawl to the pit of her stomach. "What if we make a deal." Naruto still didn't say anything for a time, but then looked up slightly.

"What kind of deal," he murmured.

"I'll stop being so mean if you stop being so childish."

"How."

"Figure it out." Naruto turned over with anger on his face.

"How am I supposed to stop being who I am? I've lived this way since forever! I can't just stop acting the way I've acted since I was born!" Sakura pulled her head under some of the covers in shame.

"You could try," she mumbled. "Just try and be more mature."

"Then you'll try and be nice to me."

"Yes. The whole reason I'm mean to you in the first place is because you act like a little kid. If you stopped acting like that, then I'd have no reason to be angry at you constantly. You act like a kid brother." Naruto looked at her in a strange way.

"You think of me as a brother to you," he repeated.

"Well... what else would I think of you as?" Naruto narrowed his eyes then turned and looked at the ceiling.

'No wonder she was never attracted to me,' he thought in annoyance at himself. After a few moments of silence, Naruto turned back over and looked at the wall. Nearly five minutes went by with nothing but quiet.

"What was your childhood like? I mean... when I didn't know you?" Sakura whispered, trying to spark a conversation.

"You really want to know? You _care_ to know?" he said with a hint of agitation in his voice as he turned over to face her again.

"Why not. After all, we haven't ever had a heart-to-heart," she suggested. Naruto's eyes beamed and he grinned slightly, his birthmarks curving with his cheeks.

---------------

Evening came suddenly and the rooms got even darker than when they first arrived. Naruto sat up in his bed and stretched after taking a brief nap. He looked over at Sakura who was sound asleep in a little ball on her bed. She yawned and blinked awake to see Naruto's shadowed form.

"You can't sleep well either, huh?" she muttered and rolled over on her side to face him better.

"Thunder always used to keep me up when I was little," he replied and rubbed his eyes. "That and I'm so hungry I could eat this tavern out of house and home."

"Me too. Let's get dressed and see what there is to eat downstairs," she said and sat up, turning to her backpack. Naruto instinctively turned away, but she didn't say anything this time. He still decided not to stare anyway, just in case she would get in trouble. He didn't want to destroy the relationship he'd tried so hard to create with her.

Once they were dressed, Naruto got a bunch of money from his knapsack and headed downstairs. The bar was eerily quiet by the time the appeared on the last step.

"Looks like everyone cleared out," whispered Sakura as she stepped down behind the register. Naruto followed closely.

"Where do you think they keep the food?" he asked, looking under the counters and inside cabinets. Sakura ignored him.

"It's not that late... it's not even happy hour yet," she muttered and eyed their surroundings suspiciously.

"Sakura?" Naruto called quietly, but saw her turn a corner, disregarding him. He followed to see her standing still and looking ahead. He looked from her to where she was looking at. He narrowed his eyes and stared into the nearly pitch black area of the bar she was looking at.

His eyes adjusted to see the outline of a dark figure sitting in the corner, smoking a slightly lambent cigarette. He inhaled deeply, causing the blunt to illuminate his face. He held it away and exhaled.

"So you'e the people I was hi'ed for?" the man mocked in a strong, almost fake, accent.

"Hired for?" Naruto asked, cocking his head to the side.

'An assassin,' Sakura thought and glowered.

"Who hired you," she demanded.

"None 'o' you' beeswax, lass," he replied, shifting his weight in the chair.

"Well then," Naruto muttered, his eyes full of excitement, "let's go."

"As yah wish," the man said and ground his cigarette into the table. His outline disappeared in a blur and he reappeared inches in front of them. His eyes were a wild, fiery red and his hair was black and dangled loosely around his shoulders. His skin was covered with small, red puncture wounds. "Let's go."

Sakura quickly grabbed at his arms but went through them instead. She had a puzzled look on her face until it was hit with a hard blow from the side. She growled at herself when she landed, angry that she didn't see through the illusion.

Naruto took out a pair of kunai knives and threw them directly at the man's throat and stomach. The demonic man caught them and threw them back twice as hard. Naruto dodged them swiftly, grabbing one out of the air and letting the other fly by. He flashed a smirk at the man and charged him.

Sakura struck at him from behind before Naruto could get to him. He took this as an advantage point and dodged them both. Naruto collided into Sakura with his blade drawn, thrusting it deeply into her stomach. She stumbled backward with an awestruck look on her face, holding tightly to the kunai knife. Naruto gawked in shock at what had just happened. She grimaced and pulled it out, chucking it at Naruto. He dodged it just as it hit the mystery man's shoulder.

"Noice plan lass, but it di'n't quite wo'k out," he said, taking the knife out of his shoulder.

"Didn't it?" she asked. In a poof of smoke, she turned into a splintering barstool. Naruto and the man both took a step back as the real Sakura threw dozens of shuriken at the man. He jumped upward and dodged the stars as she began manipulating with her hands. The stars stopped in their path and began to give off a brilliant glow.

They shot upward at the man and continued to swarm around him no matter how many times he dodged them. 'Fine,' he thought and jumped over to Sakura, 'if I go down, I'll take at least one target.' He grabbed her and held her in front of him as the shuriken slashed at her back.

Naruto hooked his leg under the man's and tripped him, catching Sakura. The shuriken fell on top of the man, slicing the large jacket he had on. The spell died as Sakura stood up, bleeding extensively from the back. The man stood up, sliding from his jacket to show off a tight, black long sleeved shirt with gloves and golden stripes on his shoulders. Sakura's eyes widened when she recognized the costume.

"Tetsu said you were dead," she muttered, slightly startled.

"So you know Tetsu?" the man asked, dropping the accent. Naruto's eyebrow quirked when the man said her name.

"She said she killed you," Sakura said, ignoring his question.

"Oh, I'm very much alive," he hissed and smirked. "But you won't be for long."

---------------

**Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto**

---------------

**Everyone**: My sister put my laptop in my dad's car, so I couldn't write for a while 2 weeks. ::sigh:: Maybe I'll keep it out of my sister's hands next time, eh?

**Tamera2187**: ::gasp:: I'm guessing you don't want Sakura and Naruto together, huh? Heh heh. Truthfully, I don't know what I'm going to do with them. They'll figure out what they're doing. If they kiss, they kiss, ya know? I don't really control what they do. Whatever happens, happens, I guess. Thanks for the review! You and **krn-kimbap** are my most loyal reader and I'm so happy about that!

**Jigglymonster**: Haha! I'm glad you like it! I hate how there's no plot to other people's lemons also. It annoys me. I hope you like the cliffy! Thanks for the review!

**Krn-kimbap**: Hah! First Tamera says not to do that, and then you beg me too! Like I said with her, I have no idea if they're gonna do anything. It could lead up to a sibling-like bond, it could turn out to be something more. I'm thinkin' the reason Sasuke fell for her so quickly was because he didn't have much of a relationship with any girl but Sakura if you think about it. Fresh meat, ya know? He never really seemed all that into Sakura ever, so I made it so they never had a relationship.

**Gary:** Thanks for the awesome comment! I love praise. If I had a tail, I'd wag it. ::grin:: I'll try and keep this story as interesting as possible! Thanks for the review!

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	10. The Fellowship Shatters

**Past Regrets**

**Chapter 9: The Fellowship Shatters**

_**Warning:** If you like Kakashi more than anyone in this fan fiction, I advise you to stop reading. No flames, please. I made a displeasing decision, though I think it was the right one.

* * *

_

A very dazed and drowsy Kakashi stumbled out his door to see Tetsu and Sasuke doing the same. Loud crashes and bangs had awoken them all from downstairs, and it wasn't the thunderstorm.

"What is that?" Kakashi asked the dumbstruck pair. Sasuke looked across the hall to see Naruto and Sakura's door slightly open. He peered in and saw no one in the room.

"Naruto and Sakura are in trouble," Tetsu muttered, sparing no time and running down the hall to the stairs, closely followed by Kakashi and Sakura.

As they entered the room, a table and all its assortments flew in their direction. Sasuke jumped up between the table and his companions, whipping out a kunai knife. In mid air, the table split in two, and he sheathed his blade. The trio looked to where the commotion was centered and saw a shadowed man fighting Naruto and Sakura.

It took them no time to start fighting alongside their comrades. Sakura's right arm was limp and dangling loosely at one side, Naruto's nose was crooked; they were both bleeding from many points of their body.

The shadowed man charged the two wounded, just to be deflected by Tetsu, who jumped between them. The man, however, continued to charge, ramming right into Tetsu with a pair of knives drawn. They both collided into a far wall, the man stapling her left shoulder and right hand straight through and into the wood. She winced and, in horror, watched as none other than Masahiro looked up, grinning wickedly.

"I left you for dead!" Tetsu growled, clenching her fist.

"With chopsticks? You didn't hit any of my vital points. I did have to take out hundreds of little splinters," he paused, pointing to the red spots all over him, "Which was a righteous pain in the ass."

Before he could continue, Sasuke grabbed Masahiro's shoulders, pulling him away from Tetsu and flinging him across the room, where he rammed into a drawn katana held by Kakashi. The demonic man and the sensei stood there a moment. Silence swept the room. Masahiro had jammed a kunai knife deep enough into Kakashi's chest to make a difference.

The pair of warriors fell to their knees, never looking at each other. At the same time, they both ripped their blades from their opponents.

"Kakashi," the Akuma muttered.

"Masahiro," the sensei replied. They both raised their blades, but Kakashi was too quick for the shadowy man. The katana slid swiftly between the man's head and shoulders. He sat there for a short moment, before every side of his neck began to spurt blood. He fell forward, his head slipped from its place, and rolled idly under a stool.

Everyone was silent for a moment. Kakashi kept completely still, holding the katana out steadily. Sakura clutched her limp arm, Tetsu stayed nailed to the wall, and Naruto and Sasuke stood firm in the positions they had been in when Kakashi lopped off the intruder's head.

After a moment, Kakashi fell forward, clinging to the wound in his chest that was bleeding profusely. Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura rushed to his aid, while Tetsu pulled the knives from herself. She dropped to the floor and immediately ran to the others.

"Gauze," Sasuke ordered. "We need gauze."

"Naruto, run upstairs and get some," Sakura demanded. He flinched and was about to run when Kakashi grabbed his wrist.

"No," the bloodied man spat out. "Not this time."

"Whaddyou mean, sensei? We'll get you bandaged up and you'll be fine!" Sakura pleaded, tearing up.

"No," he muttered again, blood flowing from his mouth all too rapidly. His face was paling quickly. "He went... through... my heart," he slurred and coughed, "and one... of my... lungs-"

"We've beaten worse before! Please, let us help you Kakashi-sama! You'll be fine!" Sakura said, tears pouring out of her eyes now. Kakashi's grip on Naruto's wrist tightened.

"No." His hand fell from Naruto's arm and his head drooped forward. Sakura bit her lips, trying desperately to hold back the tears that wouldn't stop falling. Naruto's eyes brimmed and soon he was crying silently, the blood washing from his face. Sasuke just crouched there, bewildered and completely confused as though he didn't understand what just happened. Tetsu stayed completely silent and still, wishing she were invisible.

"You said he was dead," Sasuke muttered sinisterly. Tetsu said nothing. Sasuke stood up and got inches from her face. "**You_ said _he was_ dead_**."

"...I-"

"_Get out of here_," he hissed with the most hateful glare anyone could give another. Without a second opinion or second to spare, Tetsu turned on heel, running out of the tavern.

* * *

She didn't care anymore. She didn't care. She didn't know where she was running or what she was doing; all she knew was that she didn't care. The storm hadn't ceased and only seemed to get worse with the more she ran. She ran out of the docks and out of the town, into the woodland areas and over boulders and creeks turned violent at the relentless storm.

She began to run up a hill, sinking ankle deep into the thick, syrupy mud. She fell forward and hit her forehead on a rock, a bright pain filling the back of her eyes. She knelt there, bloody and mud-covered, holding her stomach and leaning forward, crying her heart out. She felt the rain beat her back as though a giant was stomping on her with blunt cleats. Sasuke didn't care; she didn't care.

* * *

"He's gone," Sakura kept repeating. "He's gone, he's gone, he's gone." Naruto stood there, trying to hold back every part of him to keep the tears from showing he was weak. Sasuke continued to look over them at his master's defeated body. How could he have been killed so easily? He realized now that the simplest of flaws could kill a shinobi. But why did it have to be him?

After nearly an hour of this, Sakura sat back, hiccupping and gasping for breath. Naruto had stopped himself from crying, but it was ripping himself up inside. Sasuke hadn't moved an inch.

"What are we going to do," Sakura whispered. No one answered; no one knew.

"We need to get back to Konohagure," Sasuke muttered. "We need to bring Kakashi with us." Naruto nodded. Sakura gripped her limp arm, realizing for the first time that it was throbbing; she was too numb with grief to realize it before.

"Let's get ready. Pack up. Naruto, bring a blanket down from upstairs to gather Kakashi with." Naruto got up silently at Sasuke's word and walked to the stairs behind the trashed counter.

Sakura stood and gently turned Kakashi's body over. She crossed his arms and brushed his blood-caked hair from his face. Sasuke left her and went upstairs to pack his belongings.

He sat on his bed a minute after packing everything up. It was against the code to cry, so he kept his eyes winced shut tightly. His door was closed, so he wouldn't be seen, but he still fought his own instinct to cry. He opened his glassy eyes and a solemn tear streamed down his battle worn cheek. How could this have happened? He looked at the ceiling and blinked back the oncoming tears that threatened his ego. The disappeared, but he still felt them in the pit of his stomach.

He glanced over to the end of the bed, looking at Tetsu's bag. His brow narrowed and he stood up, grabbing her bag and throwing it against the wall. He ripped through it and thrashed it. She lied. _She lied. _That Akuma brother was alive. What else had she lied about? Were the others alive? Did she care at all about him or was she lying? _Did she care about him still?_

All he knew was that Kakashi was dead and she had lied. If she hadn't lied, he'd still be alive. If she hadn't come into their lives, they'd all be fine. _If she hadn't come into their lives, he'd be just as hollow as before. _

A knocking interrupted his thoughts. He wiped his cheek quickly, making sure that he wasn't seen as a real person with real feelings. Naruto opened the door slowly and peered in. He saw Sasuke picking up Tetsu's belongings and putting them back into a torn backpack.

"I don't think she lied," the fox demon muttered and backed out of the door, shutting it silently behind himself. He'd been thinking about the same thing.

* * *

They waited in silence until the rain eased to a slight drizzle. Kakashi, now in a tightly bound blanket, lay lifeless on the floor. Sasuke and Naruto had fashioned a wheelbarrow out of four round tables and the bar counter as the boxed-in platform. The handle was made from the table posts.

The three of them picked Kakashi up and placed him gently into the makeshift cart along with all of their belongings. Sakura stood beside the pushcart and stared blankly at Kakashi's form. It wasn't fair.

"We need to get moving," Sasuke muttered and threw the last pack into the cart. Sakura looked up at him with hatred in her eyes. As fast as light, she was in front of Sasuke, eyes ablaze. She flung him to the ground and held a blade at his throat, grabbing his collar with her other hand.

"How the hell can you stand there and act like nothing happened! He's been like a father to us for nearly a decade! He stood by us! _He stood by you!_ Would it kill you to show a little compassion! You think you're mature, you think you're so great and that you can't show your emotion! Well guess what! You're a human being!" she paused, tears streaking her angered face. "You're a worthless wretch if I ever saw one! I find it _so_ hard to believe that I wanted to be with someone like _you!_ You're the worst person in-"

She was interrupted by a thrust upward, throwing her off of him. He pinned her down the exact same way. "Listen," he seethed. "I don't know who you think you are. We are **not** allowed to cry. We are **not** to show our feelings and we are **not** to become that attached to anyone. If you ever think that you can judge me again-"

"You'll what, Sasuke? You'll kill me? And then what? Will you regret it? Will you be sad if I were gone? I can't read you. No one can. You felt nothing for Kakashi. You don't care." Sakura hissed. Sasuke, though he didn't show it, was heart broken. Of course he cared! Sakura thought that she saw his eyes welling up, but she ignored it, thinking she was seeing things.

Sasuke let go of her and sat up, dropping the blade. He stood and stormed out of the tavern and up the stairs, out of sight. Sakura sat up and looked over at Naruto, who had blank, yet surprised, look on his face.

"I think you struck a nerve," he murmured.

"I think you're right," Sakura replied and was about to follow him when Naruto grabbed her shoulder.

"Let him go."

* * *

Sasuke sprinted, going nowhere in particular. He was trying desperately to out-run the words that were said in the bar. She was right, mostly. He did care, but he never showed it to anyone. He jumped up a tree and sat in its branches, as though hiding from the inevitable. He wasn't going to return to them. He wasn't going to show his face to them again; not after the way he reacted.

He glanced down and saw a lump of oddly formed mud. He focused a little bit more and saw that it had hair and an arm. He jumped down walked over to the mass of hardening muck. As he approached, he knew who it was. Should he help her? He didn't want to, not after what she had done, but he knew it was better than abandoning her there.

He bent down and listened intently; the heap was breathing. He found its shoulder and turned it over, uncovering a pair of bright but sodden eyes looking back at him.

"Why are you here?" Tetsu asked quietly after a few minutes of awkward silence.

"Why are _you_ here," Sasuke muttered. Tetsu didn't respond, but kept looking up at him; a crumpled mass of blood and tears.

"Sakura confronted me," he confessed, kneeling beside her. Tetsu stayed quiet. "I ran from it."

"I see," Tetsu whispered. She turned over, hardened mud crumbling from her. "Why did you run."

After another long silence, he replied, "Because she was right."

"I see," she responded again. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he whispered, nearly tearing up again. "It was my wrong."

"Alright." Tetsu stood and started walking up the hill she tried to walk up earlier. Sasuke stood and watched her walk away and disappear over the knoll. He wasn't sure about what to do.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry," Sasuke shouted then blushed slightly; he'd never said that and meant it before. _He_ was always right. The other person always apologized to him, not the other way around.

"I forgive you, Sasuke," Tetsu shouted back with an unfriendly voice. There was no invitation or hint to follow her, so he stayed behind. Why did everything end up so out of whack?

Sasuke stood there a while, still looking in the direction that Tetsu left. He heard footsteps and she reappeared at the top of the hill. "You're welcome to join me," she said with a frosty voice. They stared almost challengingly into each other's eyes until Sasuke finally decided to look away, following her up the mountain.

* * *

"He's not coming back, is he," Sakura muttered, pushing the wagon up over a small mound.

"No," Naruto replied, helping her with the cart.

"Then we won't ever see him again will we?"

"Not with his consent. We might see him if we bump into him someday."

Despite what Naruto thought she'd say, she replied, "I hope we don't."

* * *

Sasuke and Tetsu arrived at the edge of the woods at evening of the third day traveling alone. They stood on their past Hokages' busts that were engraved into the Cliffside that overlooked Konohagure. The sun began to set behind them as Tetsu took a breath in; she wasn't sure if she was ready to confront her father.

"I have a place we can stay in for the night," Sasuke murmured, sensing her tension all too instantaneously.

"That would be good," the young woman agreed; her voice still held slight agitation within it.

* * *

They stepped into town after descending from the mountainside. This place was nothing like Tetsu had ever seen before. It was so brilliant and happy as opposed to Kirigakure. They buildings were in perfect condition, the streets were filled with many a person, and there was a pleasant atmosphere that she felt as soon as she stepped onto the path.

She followed Sasuke silently; she was never that good with crowds. Some people stopped what they were doing to look at her because of the Kirigakure headband; everyone knows how dangerous a place that is. She was thankful when they got to a small tenant and had no more eyes looking at her.

Sasuke slid open the door and walked down a hallway to a flight of stairs, Tetsu following close behind. On the third floor, the man took a key from around his neck and unlocked the door, sliding it open. He took off his shoes in the doorway and stepped up into the small apartment; Tetsu did the same.

He turned around and looked at Tetsu for the first real time in a few days. He cocked his eyebrow and disappeared into a room as Tetsu looked around. He reappeared a few moments later with two changes of clothes and herbal soaps.

"There's a bathhouse down the street. You might consider washing before you see your father."

"I don't want to go to a bathhouse. There are too many people."

"There's a hot spring a little farther than that if you're willing. Only a few people go there."

"Then let's go there."

"Alright."

"Good."

"Yeah," Tetsu concluded. The stood there awkwardly for a moment before slipping back into their shoes and heading out the door.

* * *

It took a little while, but they made it to the spring. There were four or five different hot tub-like springs with a bush that split between a few, offering privacy. They could tell that some people were there with the dim light of the moon and stars, but didn't dare look with a light in case they wanted as much privacy as Tetsu did.

Tetsu picked an empty spring and walked over with Sasuke following behind. Tetsu paused and looked behind herself. "Do you mind?" she sassed, stepping behind a bush to disrobe.

"Sorry," Sasuke whispered and sat down on the other side of the bush. He heard her step quietly into the pool and sigh in contentment.

"Hand me the soaps," she ordered, not wanting to get out of the tub. Sasuke obediently handed her the cleansers and, sneaking a quick peek, sat back down. He may be feeling guilty and he may be a hard-ass, but he was still a guy.

"I told you I was sorry," he said, starting to get agitated.

"I know," Tetsu replied as though it wasn't a big deal.

"Stop acting like this," he grumbled.

"Acting like what."

"Acting like you hate me and I'm a horrible person who didn't apologize."

"Am I acting like that?"

"You _know_ you're acting like that."

"Do I. I guess I don't know myself that well then. Because obviously, you have me figured out before I have myself figured out," her voice starting to rise a little.

"What is your problem?" Sasuke's voice was rising like her

"I'm a little bit tense, okay? First you accuse me of letting an Akuma loose on purpose, then you say you're sorry, now I'm going to see my father, and you expect me to be peachy keen? You thought I lied to you!"

"I took it back and apologized!"

They continued shouting at each other angrily. As though they were in a library, they heard dozens of voices around them in a big "Shh!" They got quiet and Sasuke inched to her side so they could argue quieter.

"Why can't you accept my apology?"

"Because being accused of something so bad then having someone say that they didn't mean it is pretty drastic, dammit. I don't care what you say."

"You said you accepted my apology."

"You accused me of being Masahiro's aide! You thought that I hadn't killed him on purpose!"

Another "Shh!" echoed throughout the springs. There was a long pause before Sasuke continued.

"How did Kakashi know Masahiro?"

"Hell if I know."

"You told me about them holding you captive. You should know _something._"

"Can we get off the subject?"

"Fine."

"Fine."

There was another long pause.

"I need to wash, too."

"Fine. But don't try and pull anything on me. If you do, there'll be hell to pay."

"I wasn't planning on it."

"Fine."

"Fine." Sasuke quickly disrobed and slipped into the water across from Tetsu.

"Could you pass the soap?" Tetsu didn't say anything, but tossed the bar at him. He grumbled as it slipped around and fell into the water.

"Good job."

"You should have caught it."

"Humph." Sasuke searched the black water for the soap. He found something slippery and Tetsu squeaked.

"That's my toe," she grumbled and pulled it away.

"I didn't know," Sasuke snapped back.

"Humph." He grabbed something again; this time it was the soap. He scrubbed himself of blood and guck as Tetsu watched in silence.

"I forgive you. For real this time," Tetsu said, slight guilt in her voice.

"Alright," Sasuke muttered, putting the soap down. "That's good."

Tetsu swam up beside him, hugging him tightly around the neck. "I'm so sorry," she muttered, her eyes beginning to overflow with grief. Sasuke was shocked for a moment, but then embraced her embrace.

"It's not your fault," he muttered, kissing her forehead tenderly. She sighed and smiled slightly, a little released but still very sad.

They sat like that for a while before returning to Sasuke's place, fresh and clean. As soon as they got home, they nearly fell on the floor; the warmth of the spring making them drowsy. Sasuke showed her his room and tucked her into his bed.

"You don't need to sleep separate from me," she muttered and patted the pillow next to her. He smiled ever so slightly and slipped between the covers, staring at her gray-blue eyes. She turned over and scooted into his arms, sighing in contentment. He nearly smiled again as they both instantly fell asleep.

* * *

**Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto**

* * *

**To Everyone**: I apologize for the lateness. This chapter had several different phases and several different outcomes, but I believe I chose the best one. I can understand if you don't want to read anymore because of this outcome or don't want to read due to the delayed post. (Many of my Hanyou Kagome readers have done that.) Thank you for the numerous comments everyone! It's extra long this time to make up for the lost time posting.

P.S. Let Kakashi rest in peace. :sigh:

**Dragon's Shadow**: There's going to be more Naruto/Sakura scenes in the next chapter. I'm not sure if they're going to be together or what, but I know there's going to be more of them. Possibly a surprise guest too. (But you didn't hear that from me. :sneaky grin: ) Thanks for reviewing!

**TamAra2187**: Sorry about the miss-pronunciation of your name. I just saw it addressed as Tamara, so I though that was how it was. Thanks for correctin' me! That review was possibly the longest I've ever received! It makes me so happy. :grin: Yes, I pictured Hisoka to be a hottie too. Heh heh. I hope you continue to review even though I haven't updated in about a little over a month. I'm disappointed in myself. I'll try to update ASAP for the next chappy. Thanks for the review!

**Nezuko**: (if you read this far) Hey! I'm glad you like my story and I hope you're still reading it! Yeah, everyone liked Hisoka. :grin: But (as you can see in this chapter) I love death scenes. This one was particularly boring, though. If I put more time in it, it would have been good enough to make some people cry. That happens on occasion. (EMO TO THE MAX, BAYBAY!) Thanks for the review; I hope you continue reading!

**Justforkicks** **(Gary**):laughs: You might consider getting your own account, (if you're allowed. My brother wasn't allowed for a long time) before your sister busts you. I know I'd be a little erked if _my_ brother played on my account. Heh heh. I hope you continue reading, thanks for the review!

**v son sayian**: Hey! Aren't accents amazing:squeal: That review sounds like an old fashioned cliff hanger:cracks up: "What will happen with the bro whose supposedly dead? Will Tetsu meet her father, and what will happen when she does?" Tune in next week for the awesome conclusion to, "Past Regrets!" :laughs at own joke: I kill myself. Thanks for the review!

**krn-kimbap**:laughs: Yes, it was a serious cliff hanger. But if you look at the clues, (the spots from the MANY chopsticks piercing him) you can figure that is was Masahiro. Yasuo is very, VERY dead. :giggle: I don't know if Naruto and Sakura will pair, but I'll see what I can do. You didn't hear that from me, though. :wink:

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